Showing Results for "floundering"

floundering

American

[floun-der-ing] / ˈflaʊn dər ɪŋ /

adjective

struggling, especially clumsily or helplessly.

The vast leap from tonal music to modernism was left to the floundering student to make, unaided.
These classic writing mistakes are guaranteed to unlock the door to instant failure and free you to flop like a floundering fish on the floor.
in imminent danger of failure or catastrophic loss.

The floundering venture laid off half its 200 employees and its chairman resigned.
The player’s 2017 campaign not only revived what looked like a floundering career, it proved to be one of the best he'd ever had in the big leagues.

noun

a clumsy, violent, or chaotic struggle.

With many awkward flounderings, and much spluttering, I managed to keep barely afloat until I reached the shore.
The floundering of the economy in the last decade has left many hardworking individuals without a job.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Etymology

Origin of floundering

First recorded in 1590–1600; flounder ¹ ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; flounder ¹ ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun sense

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

However, the event is floundering as one act after another withdraws.

From Barron's • May 29, 2026

They gave me the long view when I was 20 and floundering in life.

From MarketWatch • May 13, 2026

This isn’t because the company has overcome its strategic problems; it is floundering against Nvidia in graphical processing units, which drive AI, and against Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. in making chips for outside customers.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

They come into this game off the back of three straight defeats without managing a goal, and I can see them floundering again here.

From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026

As the book keeper was ill, Sander was given the task of holding the play book and throwing out lines to players who were floundering.

From "The Shakespeare Stealer" by Gary L. Blackwood

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023