ぬかるみ

noun

mud; muddy ground; quagmire

1. mud; muddy ground; mire

Soft, wet ground that is difficult to walk through. Can also be used figuratively for a difficult situation that is hard to escape.

ぬかるみに足(あし)を取(と)られた。

My feet got stuck in the mud.

雨(あめ)の後(あと)、道(みち)がぬかるみになっていた。

The road had turned to mud after the rain.

ぬかるみの中(なか)を長靴(ながぐつ)で歩(ある)いたが、何度(なんど)も滑(すべ)りそうになった。

I walked through the mud in rubber boots, but nearly slipped several times.

Usage

ぬかるみ is the noun form related to the verb ぬかるむ (to become muddy). It can be used both literally for muddy ground and figuratively for a mess or quagmire one cannot easily escape from.

Common collocations

ぬかるみに足(あし)を取(と)られる: to get one's feet stuck in the mud
ぬかるみにはまる: to get bogged down in mud
ぬかるみの道(みち): a muddy road

Similar words

泥(どろ) is the material (mud), while ぬかるみ is a muddy patch of ground. 泥濘(でいねい) is a formal/literary synonym.

Related Words

Compare: どろんこ (muddy, covered in mud)

Related: ぬかるむ (to become muddy)

Compare: 泥濘(でいねい) (muddy ground)

general

Added 2026.3.11 13:35 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01

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