flounder
1 Americanverb (used without object)
-
to struggle with stumbling or plunging movements (usually followed by about, along, on, through, etc.).
He saw the child floundering about in the water.
-
to struggle clumsily or helplessly.
He floundered helplessly on the first day of his new job.
-
to be in imminent danger of failure.
The negotiations floundered primarily on the question of extending regional autonomy.
noun
-
a European, marine flatfish, Platichthys flesus, used for food.
-
any of numerous similar or closely related non-European flatfishes.
-
any flatfish other than soles.
verb
-
to struggle; to move with difficulty, as in mud
-
to behave awkwardly; make mistakes
noun
noun
-
Also called: fluke. a European flatfish, Platichthys flesus having a greyish-brown body covered with prickly scales: family Pleuronectidae : an important food fish
-
any flatfish of the families Bothidae (turbot, etc) and Pleuronectidae (plaice, halibut, sand dab, etc)
Usage
Flounder is sometimes wrongly used where founder is meant: the project foundered (not floundered ) because of a lack of funds
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
floundersimple
-
flounderssimple
-
have flounderedperfect
-
has flounderedperfect
-
am flounderingprogressive
-
are flounderingprogressive
-
is flounderingprogressive
-
have been flounderingperfect progressive
-
has been flounderingperfect progressive
Past
-
flounderedsimple
-
had flounderedperfect
-
was flounderingprogressive
-
were flounderingprogressive
-
had been flounderingperfect progressive
Future
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
Explanation
A flounder is a flat fish with both eyes on one side of its head; and, as a verb, to flounder is to wobble around like a fish out of water. To flounder is to be unsteady or uncertain. It's probably from the Dutch word flodderen, "to flop about," or it's a mix of founder ("to fail") and blunder ("do something clumsy"). If you flounder in the ocean, you need a surfer dude to scoop you up. You don't have to be in water, though; you can flounder any time you're a little wobbly — like after a long hike or during the last hour of the SATs. Either way, when you flounder, you wish you were a flat fish at the bottom of the sea.
Vocabulary lists containing flounder
List 2
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
A Vocabulary Bestiary: Animals That Behave as Verbs
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
I tipped Spain to beat France but still did not expect such a flat performance and their star-studded frontline to flounder as badly as they did.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
“The Little Sister” grows even more intriguing once the love affair runs aground, forcing Fatima to flounder in her heartache.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2026
While corvids and parrots are unquestionably brainy, they flounder with some cognitive tasks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
The outlook for younger workers could flounder if the effects of the recent oil shock lead to a pullback in discretionary spending.
From Barron's ● May 5, 2026
I flounder through the water, the edges of the ice breaking off as I step.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
As Target flounders, some competitors are growing fast.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 3, 2026
Still, Muncy figures to be a linchpin in the Dodgers’ long-term potential at the plate — with his recovery growing ever-steadily in importance as the rest of the lineup flounders in his wake.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2025
Oftentimes, there’s a chasmic dissonance between the urge to fulfill societal expectations of the quintessential athlete and what can actually be accomplished while one’s health flounders.
From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2024
Most of the 10 schools are in less-than-ideal position to swallow significant buyouts if the head coach flounders next season.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 27, 2024
One part of it was reserved for the fishermen who brought crabs and oysters and bass and flounders.
From "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH" by Robert C. O'Brien
Other U.S.-based sodium-ion startups have floundered of late.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
Attempts to mend US-South Africa relations have floundered.
From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026
But he floundered at sea and was picked up by Chinese fishermen, who handed him to the police.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026
However, despite Kelly's recent experiences, her initial attempts to bring Phillips to justice floundered.
From BBC ● Feb. 23, 2026
Milkman floundered for a word to describe the nagging he thought he was a victim of.
From "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison
He was the emotionally tortured and volatile chef who left behind a rising career in Michelin-starred restaurants to return to Chicago, his hometown, to run his recently deceased brother’s floundering sandwich joint.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026
Crucially, the firm also is bullish on Intel’s foundry business, which was seen as a floundering effort as recently as last year.
From Barron's ● Jun. 11, 2026
After more than a decade of failed attempts to raise money, blown deadlines and rebrands, it had been floundering.
From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2026
His mayoralty also offers today’s floundering New York the fundamental lesson that good government can make a city flourish, while bad government impairs it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026
Unable to straighten his legs, he learned to push himself about by leaning on a chair, his legs floundering.
From "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand
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.
