morass

Bog of confusion

A morass is a stretch of swampy, boggy ground—wet land that's difficult or dangerous to cross.

The figurative sense dominates modern usage: a morass is any situation that traps you, slows progress, or proves difficult to escape.

The project became a morass of bureaucratic delays.

We got lost in a morass of conflicting regulations.

swamp

bog

Acidic peat wetland

quagmireSoft, wet ground
fenLow marshy ground
wetlandWaterlogged land ecosystem

peat · slough · muskeg · bayou · marshland · swampland · mud · ooze · sludge · silt

complexity

labyrinth

Intricate passage network

mazePuzzle of passages
tangleTwisted mass of strands
webInterwoven filament structure

knot · quagmire · muddle · snarl · jumble · confusion · complication · entanglement · imbroglio · mess

stagnation

mired

Stuck in difficulty

stuckUnable to move
bogged downHindered, unable to advance
trappedUnable to escape

deadlock · standstill · impasse · gridlock · inertia · paralysis · quicksand · sinking · floundering · struggle

Categories

impassesimpasse, deadlock, stalemate, standstill, gridlock
Troublesproblem, trouble, issue, setback, snag
wetland lifebeaver, swamp, mangrove, cattail, cypress
wetlandsswamp, swamps, marshes, marshland, marshlands
delaysdelays, delay, delayed, postponement, postpone
disorderchaos, chaotic, disarray, mess, disordered

Opposites

physical terrain

morasssolid ground

Stable surface beneath

firm ground · bedrock · dry land · desert · terra firma

metaphorical complexity/entanglement

State of being understandable

order · simplicity · organization · straightforwardness · clear path

Family

Familiarity: Top 200,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Negative · Everyday, not technical · Rated G