Showing results for "flailing"

• present participle of flail.

flailing

American  

[flay-ling] / ˈfleɪ lɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of moving one’s limbs or body about randomly and wildly (often followed by around orabout ).

   The patient had to be sedated, as her flailing gave the nurse a bloody nose.

2. the act or process of making desperate attempts to respond to a difficult or awkward situation (often followed by around orabout ).

   Embracing the challenge of doing business differently doesn't just mean more effort, more mindless flailing around.

3. the act or process of beating grain with a flail to separate the kernel from the chaff.

   As wheat production increased, flailing and winnowing were replaced with threshing machines and fanning mills.

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adjective

1. moving about randomly and wildly, or making desperate attempts to respond to a challenge.

   I was pushed out of bed by the flailing limbs of my overexcited little boy.

   There was no real strike, only a flailing protest by unions trying to become relevant again.

Etymology

Origin of flailing

First recorded in 1850–55; flail ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun senses; flail ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective sense

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

flailing

"There are farmers really flailing away" and drastically concerned about fuel costs, Joe Logan, interim president of the Ohio Farmers Union, told AFP.

From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026

Now a respected New Yorker magazine writer promoting his forthcoming book on the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Michael is contacted by Lou, who has been flailing since returning to the States.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

The ambitious Mr. Khanna has instead tried to distinguish himself by flailing after every bandwagon that goes by, from Jeffrey Epstein and billionaire wealth taxes to AI regulation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

A humanoid’s frantic attempts to stay upright—arms flailing, legs skittering—bears an uncanny resemblance to the choreographed collapses of Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton.

From Slate ● Sep. 27, 2026

But Chaol only gaped at the flailing assassin, his face pale as death.

From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas

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