flounce
1 Americannoun
verb (used with object)
verb
noun
noun
Usage
What else does flounce mean? The internet slang term flounce means "to leave an online group in a dramatic manner," and may or may not involve burning a few bridges or stirring the pot on the way out.
Etymology
Origin of flounce1
1535–45; of obscure origin; perhaps akin to Norwegian flunsa to hurry
Origin of flounce2
First recorded in 1665–75; alteration of obsolete frounce wrinkle
Explanation
To flounce is to move in an exaggerated, emphatic way, especially if your movement expresses anger or impatience. A young child who doesn't like what's for dinner might stand up and flounce away from the table. If you feel you've been misunderstood, you might need to stifle the urge to flounce off in a huff — it's more mature to stay and try to explain yourself. Flounce is also a noun, meaning both the action of flouncing and a ruffle: "I'll make this dress look fancier by sewing a flounce on the bottom." The huffy movement meaning came first, possibly from a Scandinavian source.
Vocabulary lists containing flounce
Bridge to Terabithia
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I, Robot
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Darius the Great Is Not Okay
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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:
We've seen Cristiano Ronaldo flounce his way out of Hampden.
From BBC ● Nov. 19, 2024
For fall, diaphanous tiers of 1970s flounce in almost angelically light hues defined the show’s aesthetic inside a brutalist warehouse space.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 29, 2024
Ana de Armas, best actress nominee for "Blonde," wore a silver column dress with a flamenco dancer-like flounce on the bottom.
From Reuters ● Mar. 13, 2023
Only a generation ago, some gardener-critics thought them lacking in elegance and refinement, too conspicuous in their flounce.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 15, 2022
She smoothed her long skirt underneath her and sat down with a little flounce like a young girl.
From "Dragonwings" by Laurence Yep
After stranding runners in scoring position in each of his first three innings, Miller flexed, fist-pumped and flounced his way off the rubber.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2023
The self-confident Mr Lindner overplayed his hand four years ago, and was accused of shirking responsibility when he flounced out of coalition talks.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2021
A few months later, he quietly crawled back to Twitter and starting posting again, never acknowledging that he had flounced away in righteous indignation.
From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2021
He finally flounced out of the room with her looking daggers in his back.
From Slate ● Apr. 19, 2020
June flounced out, her red skirt flashing around the door.
From "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd
Manuel Puig’s “Kiss of the Spider Woman” is perhaps best known in the U.S. as the film that won William Hurt an Oscar for flouncing around a prison cell in a kimono.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 6, 2023
Nemec recognizes this, to some degree, by only mentioning a central figure from the anime who is basically a flailing, flouncing mess of childish squeaks and quirks.
From Salon ● Nov. 20, 2021
"Rather than flouncing off", said Mr Hussain, the judge showed humour and "embraced" the fluffy intruder.
From BBC ● Mar. 17, 2021
But some palace lackey had erred; the vehicle was too cramped for a tall flouncing lassie and her frock.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 26, 2017
“You couldn’t catch me,” snotnosed Katie said, flouncing away and galumphing loudly down the carpeted stairs.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
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.
