wallow in the mire
Embrace the mud
To wallow in the mire is to remain stuck in a bad situation, often with a suggestion of passive acceptance or even perverse enjoyment.
The image is of an animal rolling in mud—comfortable in filth rather than seeking escape.
He'd rather wallow in the mire of self-pity than actually fix his problems.
The phrase carries moral judgment: wallowing implies you could climb out but choose not to.
- sinkBasin with drain
- stuck in the mudImmobilized in soft ground
- languishWeaken through suffering
- mudWet soil mixture
- muckFilthy wet dirt
slog · pigsty · bog · bog down · immersion · brooding · ooze · stagnation · ruminating · despair · down in the dumps · writhe · struggle · sink or swim · deep end · hopelessness · entrapment · self-pity
wallow in the mirerise above
Overcome by staying superior
soar · transcend · ascend · aspire · reach for the stars
wallow in the mireovercome
Prevail against difficulty
persevere · soldier on · push through · bounce back · rise to the occasion
wallow, wallows, wallowed, wallowing, mire, mires, mired, miring, miry