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marshy

marshy

5 1.8
Soft wet land that often has shallow water
  • adjective
  • /ˈmɑrʃi/
translation icon : pantanoso
  • There were marshy places like this near the sea not far from our cave on the peninsula.
  • marshy areas
  • marshy ground
  • low and marshy

Examples

  • Pisa's name comes from a Greek word for marshy land, which perfectly describes the clay, mud and wet sand below the city's surface.

  • A creek flows gently through marshy ground under an umbrella of trees.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • The trees were huge and grew right up to and in the marshy water.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • By the time the sun topped the mountain ahead, the snow gave way to marshy ground.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • The golf course is set in the middle of marshy land; alligators are not an unusual sight.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • This combination would be lethal to most trees, but mangroves make the most of their marshy surroundings.

  • The site would have been surrounded by marshy swamps in the spring, the result of the river's seasonal flooding.

    Academic text (2006)
  • The facility at Pine River was erected on marshy land, hard by the steady rustle of the Atlantic.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • We spent the afternoon on a hill overlooking the marshy end, watching the mallards and arguing over the binoculars.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • The family got its nickname from their land, which was marshy in many places.

Synonyms

muddy
vsmarshy
73 1.1

Covered in mud and hard to walk on

is wet ground often with standing water rather than simply mud coating
soggy
vsmarshy
17 1.9

Very wet, soft ground that is often muddy after rain

is about wet soft land naturally covered with water rather than soaked materials
swampy
vsmarshy
8 2.9

Soft, wet ground that is difficult to walk on

is shallower wet ground often more open with grassy vegetation
mucky
vsmarshy
7 3.2

Dirty and covered in mud

is natural wet land often covered by water rather than being merely dirty
sloppy
vsmarshy
4 1.6

Soft, wet ground that is hard to walk on

is a neutral natural wet state often not implying messiness or disorder
waterlogged
vsmarshy
3 5.2

Ground that is full of water and too soft to walk on or grow plants

is wet ground often with standing shallow water rather than fully saturated
boggy
vsmarshy
2 5.6

Soft wet ground that is hard to walk on

is more general wet ground often covered by standing shallow water
fenny
vsmarshy
  • Archaic
9.9

Wet and soft like land near a marsh

is the general term for wet soft ground often covered with water
quaggy
vsmarshy
9.8

Soft, wet ground that feels like deep mud

is wet soft ground but not necessarily spongy or sinking under weight
miry
vsmarshy
8.4

Very muddy, soft ground that is hard to walk on

is wet ground often covered with water rather than mainly mud
sloughy
vsmarshy
  • US
9.9

Soft wet ground that makes walking difficult

is wet ground often covered with shallow water rather than thick mud
sloshy
vsmarshy
4.8

Wet and soft with water that splashes when you walk on it

is wet land that may be water covered without noisy squelching or splashing

Antonyms

dry
791 1.0

Not wet or without any liquid

325 1.0

Firm and hard so it keeps its shape, not liquid

How Marshy

waterlogged
3 5.2
swampy
8 2.9
boggy
2 5.6
marshy
5 1.8
damp
113 1.0

Surface Forms

marshy positive
marshier comparative
marshiest superlative

Morphology

marshy = marsh (transparent) = marsh + y

The word 'marshy' is transparently derived from 'marsh' with the addition of the suffix '-y' to form an adjective meaning 'like a marsh'.

Etymology

The word marshy comes from marsh, meaning 'wet, low land', and the ending -y, meaning 'full of'. So marshy describes ground that is soft and wet, like a marsh.