morass

IPA/məˈræs/
KK[mɚˈæs]IPA/məˈræs/

morass — 名詞

  • morasssingular
  • morassesplural

1. a complicated and unpleasant situation that entangles you and blocks any way for

1.名詞C1
釋義

困境；泥沼

難以脫身的複雜麻煩局面

a complicated and unpleasant situation that entangles you and blocks any way forward

例句

Nora spent months untangling herself from a morass of unpaid taxes.

Nora 花了數月時間才從欠稅的困境中脫身。

a morass of + [problem]

The new policy created a morass of confusing rules that nobody understood.

新政策製造了一堆令人困惑的規定，宛如泥沼般讓人寸步難行。

a morass of + [abstract noun]

同義詞
  • quagmire

    very close synonym; quagmire stresses being stuck and unable to move, morass stresses tangled complexity

  • tangle

    less formal; a tangle can refer to smaller or everyday confused situations

  • predicament

    any difficult situation you need to escape, without the connotation of complexity

  • imbroglio

    more formal; specifically an embarrassing or scandalous entanglement

反義詞
  • clarity

    the quality of being clear and simple to understand or navigate

文法句型

a morass of + [bureaucracy/debt/confusion/paperwork]

用法筆記

Frequently followed by 'of + noun' naming the source of the tangle (a morass of regulations, a morass of debt). Common in journalism and formal prose.

常見錯誤

❌The kitchen was a morass after the party.
✅The kitchen was a mess after the party.
💡morass describes a deeply tangled, long-term problem, not everyday physical disorder.
❌I'm in a morass because I missed the bus.
✅I'm in a difficult situation because I missed the bus.
💡morass suggests a complex, hard-to-escape problem, not a minor inconvenience.

2. a stretch of wet, boggy ground that sinks when you step on it

2.名詞C2
釋義

沼澤

鬆軟潮濕、容易陷入的地帶

a stretch of wet, boggy ground that sinks when you step on it

例句

The hikers got lost and wandered into a vast morass near the river.

登山客迷了路，誤入河邊一片廣闊的沼澤。

a + [adjective] + morass

Beatrix warned the children not to play near the dangerous morass.

Beatrix 警告孩子們不要在危險的沼澤附近玩耍。

同義詞
  • marsh

    more common and less formal; a marsh may be passable on foot in dry weather

  • swamp

    similar; a swamp typically has trees and standing water

  • bog

    similar; a bog is acidic, accumulates peat, and often found in cooler climates

  • quagmire

    stresses the unstable, sinking quality of the ground underfoot

用法筆記

Now mainly literary or historical. In modern everyday speech, 'swamp', 'bog', or 'marsh' are almost always used instead.