quag ‧ mire /ˈkwæɡmaɪə, ˈkwɒɡ- $ ˈkwæɡmaɪr/ BrE AmE noun [countable usually singular]
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Origin: quag 'soft wet ground' (16-20 centuries) (perhaps from quag 'to shake' (17-19 centuries) ) + mire ]
1 . an area of soft wet muddy ground:
In the rainy season the roads become a quagmire.
2 . a difficult or complicated situation:
The Balkan situation became a political and military quagmire.