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morass

morass

1 9.7
Soft wet ground that is hard to walk on
  • noun
  • /məˈræs/
translation icon : ciénaga
  • They could walk over a cliff, flounder in a morass of soft-packed willows or larch.

Examples

  • The steady drizzle slowly turned the trail into a morass of red mud, further impeding their progress and adding to the hardship.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • On 5 June at 3:30 A.M., winds were almost of hurricane strength, rain was driving in horizontal sheets, and roads to Allied headquarters in Portsmouth were morasses of mud.

    Academic text (1994)
  • And I stood in the morass among the tall lilies, and the rain fell upon my head.

    Academic text (1999)
  • I said nothing more, backing away from a morass I had stepped into unwittingly.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • What might once have been large mud puddles had grown to become vehicle-swallowing morasses, thanks to wallowing wild hogs.

    Academic text (2009)
  • The state has pledged funds for the beautification program, organized by the temple committee, to transform the hill from an overgrown, weedy morass into a tidy landscape of ornamental plantings.

    Academic text (1993)
  • As we trekked through the morass, we struggled to keep our footing in the muddy ground.

  • The heavy rains transformed the field into a morass, making it impossible for vehicles to pass.

  • After the downpour, the hiking trail turned into a morass, slowing us down as we navigated through the wetland.

Synonyms

bog
vsmorass
33 4.9

A wet, soft area of ground with dead plants

is the general wet low ground, not focused on plant decay
mire
vsmorass
4 7.4

Deep soft wet ground like a bog that is hard to walk through

is general low wet ground that sinks underfoot rather than just depth
quagmire
vsmorass
2 8.5

Soft wet ground that gives way under your feet

is the general boggy low area, not only muddy patches
slack
vsmorass
  • UK
1 8.6

A soft wet area of low land that sinks underfoot

is the broader term for boggy low land rather than specific spots
muskeg
vsmorass
  • Specialized
1 9.9

Soft, wet ground in northern areas covered with moss and dead plants

is a broader low wet ground term not limited to northern regions
quag
vsmorass
  • Archaic
9.9

A soft, wet area of ground that sinks when you walk on it

is a broader term for low wet ground not only yielding spots

Antonyms

13 1.8

Firm land you can stand on instead of water

How Wet

quagmire
2 8.5
morass
1 9.7
swamp
226 1.9
marsh
64 2.6
sloppiness
1 4.1

Surface Forms

morass singular
morasses plural

Etymology

Morass comes from an old word for a wet, soft place like a 'marsh' or 'bog', and is like the familiar word marsh. So a morass is a muddy area that can trap your feet and make walking very hard.