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bourbier

quagmire, muddy bog

noun boor-BYEH Rare
Travel & Places Geography

Also means

difficult predicament

Usage Note

Bourbier derives from bourbe (mud, mire), and is used both literally for a waterlogged muddy pit and figuratively for a messy situation one cannot easily escape. The figurative use is common in political commentary: se retrouver dans un bourbier means to find oneself in a real mess.

Examples

"L'armée s'est enlisée dans le bourbier."

Natural Translation

The army got bogged down in the quagmire.

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