flounder

¹ American  

[floun-der] / ˈflaʊn dər /

verb (used without object)

1. to struggle with stumbling or plunging movements (usually followed by about, along, on, through, etc.).

   He saw the child floundering about in the water.

2. to struggle clumsily or helplessly.

   He floundered helplessly on the first day of his new job.

   Synonyms:

   muddle, waver, falter

3. to be in imminent danger of failure.

   The negotiations floundered primarily on the question of extending regional autonomy.

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flounder ² American  

[floun-der] / ˈflaʊn dər /

noun

plural

flounder,

plural

flounders

1. a European, marine flatfish, Platichthys flesus, used for food.

2. any of numerous similar or closely related non-European flatfishes.

3. any flatfish other than soles.

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flounder ¹ British  

/ ˈflaʊndə /

verb

1. to struggle; to move with difficulty, as in mud

2. to behave awkwardly; make mistakes

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noun

1. the act of floundering

flounder ² British  

/ ˈflaʊndə /

noun

1. Also called: fluke.  a European flatfish, Platichthys flesus having a greyish-brown body covered with prickly scales: family Pleuronectidae : an important food fish

2. any flatfish of the families Bothidae (turbot, etc) and Pleuronectidae (plaice, halibut, sand dab, etc)

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Usage

Flounder is sometimes wrongly used where founder is meant: the project foundered (not floundered ) because of a lack of funds

Etymology

Origin of flounder¹

First recorded in 1570–80; perhaps blend of flounce ¹ and founder ²

Origin of flounder²

1400–50; late Middle English < Anglo-French floundre < Scandinavian; compare Norwegian flundra

Example Sentences

Shares of Intuit have floundered this year along with the broader industry as Wall Street worries that AI can replace critical software functions.

From Barron's

But the company said that those gains were offset by declines in its legacy advertising business, which has floundered in a tough macroeconomic environment.

From Barron's

But the company said that those gains were offset by declines in its legacy advertising business, which has floundered in a tough macroeconomic environment.

From Barron's

Just two weeks ago, the ETF dropped 5% for the week, marking its worst weekly performance since early April 2025, when markets were floundering from the Liberation Day lows.

From Barron's

But when the team floundered—and Tagovailoa had to be benched—it became clear that whoever was in charge would have to figure out a way to move on from him.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• flop
• stumble
• wallow