ENGLISH
REFERENCE

bog down

phr. v..
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford

phr. v.. to get stuck in too much detail or work so that you cannot make progress.

phr. v.. to cause something to slow down or stop making progress; often used in the passive voice to describe being overwhelmed by complexity or literal mud.


SIMPLE

Don't get bogged down in the small details.

CONTEXTUAL

The project got bogged down in legal discussions and took much longer than we expected.

COMPLEX

The peace negotiations were bogged down by historical grievances that neither side was willing to overlook for the sake of the future.

Particles
down
Separability
optional
Pattern
bog + object + down
Usage

most commonly used in the passive form 'get bogged down' followed by the preposition 'in'.

Teaching tip

explain the literal origin of a vehicle getting stuck in a 'bog' (wet, muddy ground) to help students visualize the feeling of being unable to move forward.

Pitfall

We bogged down in the work.We got bogged down in the work.while it can be active, learners almost always need the 'get + past participle' structure to describe the state of being stuck.

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