The disposal of sludge from factories has become a problem.
Sludge has accumulated on the riverbed.
We must clean up the political mire.
He remains stuck in the hopeless mire of his life.
activated sludge
Standard kanji spelling; used in news and technical contexts.
Rarely used kanji form.
Sino-Japanese compound of 汚 (dirty, pollute) and 泥 (mud). The figurative sense extends the idea of being stuck in filthy, inescapable conditions.