flail
Americannoun
-
flails
plural
-
an instrument for threshing grain, consisting of a staff or handle with a freely swinging stick or bar attached to one end of it.
-
a similar instrument used as a weapon of war.
verb (used without object)
-
flails,
present (3rd person singular)
-
flailed,
past participle, past
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flailing
present participle
-
to move about randomly and wildly.
Running down to the lake I hit a patch of mud and found myself flailing all over the path, arms and legs flying.
-
to make desperate or unproductive attempts to respond to a challenging problem, awkward situation, etc. (usually followed by around orabout ).
He makes things worse by flailing about with administrative solutions to educational problems he doesn't understand.
For six years the government flailed, proposing one ineffectual program after another.
verb (used with object)
-
flails,
present (3rd person singular)
-
flailed,
past participle, past
-
flailing
present participle
-
to thresh (grain) with a flail.
Together they managed to clear land, seed wheat, flail the grain by hand, and grind it into flour.
-
to beat, strike, attack, etc., repeatedly with or as if with a flail.
I flailed the water with a variety of lures for hours, and caught three bass.
The infantry closed in while artillery support flailed the enemy positions.
-
to move (a limb, one’s body, etc.) randomly and wildly (often followed by around orabout ).
Gasping and choking, he flailed a hand in my general direction.
-
to swing (something) about as if using a flail.
She violently flailed the flare around, trying to catch the attention of the figure on the hill.
adjective
noun
-
an implement used for threshing grain, consisting of a wooden handle with a free-swinging metal or wooden bar attached to it
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a weapon so shaped used in the Middle Ages
verb
-
(tr) to beat or thrash with or as if with a flail
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to move or be moved like a flail; thresh about
with arms flailing
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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flailsimple
-
flailssimple
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have flailedperfect
-
has flailedperfect
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am flailingprogressive
-
are flailingprogressive
-
is flailingprogressive
-
have been flailingperfect progressive
-
has been flailingperfect progressive
Past
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flailedsimple
-
had flailedperfect
-
was flailingprogressive
-
were flailingprogressive
-
had been flailingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of flail
First recorded before 1100; Middle English fleil (noun), Old English flighel (probably misspelling of unattested flegil ), cognate with Dutch vlegel, German Flegel, from unattested West Germanic flagil-, from Late Latin flagellum “flail,” Latin: “whip, scourge”; see flagellum
Explanation
To flail means to wave around wildly. If you are stranded on a deserted island and you see a ship in the distance, it’s a good idea to flail your arms in the air to get the captain’s attention. Flail originates with the Latin word flagellum, which is a whip. It is also related to the noun flail, a stick with a swinging attachment to it, used to thresh grain. As a verb, it most often refers to arms, but can also involve the whole body, especially if someone is a very wild dancer. Other things can flail as well. If someone admits that his business is flailing, it’s probably lacking direction and not doing very well.
Vocabulary lists containing flail
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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.
See Examples For:
While investment and consumption flail, China’s dollar-denominated exports power on, surging almost 20% year-over-year last month on demand for artificial intelligence and clean-energy products.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026
They scampered around the office looming above the Outdoor stage, while delighted fans on the ground watched them flail behind glass.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 12, 2026
With the USA bats continuing to flail against Rodriguez, the Venezuelans doubled their lead in the top of the fifth inning.
From Barron's ● Mar. 18, 2026
"When other fish get caught in those nets they sort of flail and it sends out a vibration underwater, sort of like ringing the dinner bell," says Prof Pepin-Neff.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2025
She continued to kick and flail and howl and weep.
From "The Girl Who Drank the Moon" by Kelly Barnhill
Lawrence’s Grace needs help and the more she flails, the worse she makes things.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2025
Cure turns toward Aldridge and flails his arms.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2023
At times it’s hard to recognize the ascending superstar as he flails at pitches out of the strike zone and, despite his seemingly unflappable persona, shows unmistakable signs of pressing.
From Seattle Times ● May 4, 2023
Wendell Pierce, as Willy, is wrenching as he flails and fails to avoid his fate instead of slumping into it from the start.
From New York Times ● Oct. 9, 2022
The laddoo gurgles and flails his pudgy hands forward toward me, smacking the keyboard.
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
The new storefronts have especially been a boon for malls, which flailed after the rise of online shopping.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
As time passed and no government help appeared, del Giudice became exasperated and flailed at the rubble.
From Barron's ● Jun. 26, 2026
The Braves were a ratings hit, and when the team flailed and went up for sale, Turner’s company became its owner in 1976.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 2026
They attacked the game, while Rangers flailed wildly.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2025
Kretzsky flailed his arms at the commander, who pointed back at the boat.
From "Between Shades of Gray" by Ruta Sepetys
“His flailing is a terrible blow to U.S. deterrence,” said Daniel Shapiro, a senior Pentagon official during the Biden administration who also served as U.S. ambassador to Israel under President Barack Obama.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
Neill’s performance is as flailing and furious as hers, and together, they turn “Possession” into a radical piece of filmmaking that has deservedly earned its cult following and late reverence.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026
"She came out with her two little arms flailing," family friend Rolando told AFP, asking to be identified by only his first name.
From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026
She enters the mosh pit fearlessly, dodging flailing arms to two-step — a synchronized dance move that requires punching and running in place — unleashing her energy in the punk sanctum.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026
Trumpeting in her terror, her ears flapping wildly, her trunk flailing, she simply disappeared into the mist.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
