floundering

American  

[floun-der-ing] / ˈflaʊn dər ɪŋ /

adjective

1. struggling, especially clumsily or helplessly.

   The vast leap from tonal music to modernism was left to the floundering student to make, unaided.

   These classic writing mistakes are guaranteed to unlock the door to instant failure and free you to flop like a floundering fish on the floor.

2. in imminent danger of failure or catastrophic loss.

   The floundering venture laid off half its 200 employees and its chairman resigned.

   The player’s 2017 campaign not only revived what looked like a floundering career, it proved to be one of the best he'd ever had in the big leagues.

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noun

1. a clumsy, violent, or chaotic struggle.

   With many awkward flounderings, and much spluttering, I managed to keep barely afloat until I reached the shore.

   The floundering of the economy in the last decade has left many hardworking individuals without a job.

Other Word Forms

• flounderingly adverb
• unfloundering adjective

Etymology

Origin of floundering

First recorded in 1590–1600; flounder ¹ ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; flounder ¹ ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun sense

Example Sentences

So for all their bluster in public, Bondi and Blanche were floundering in court as losses piled up.

From Slate • Mar. 24, 2026

And in floundering the ending, “Undertone” reminds us that tranquility can be far more unsettling than a cacophony of sight and sound.

From Salon • Mar. 15, 2026

Instead the headlines were about Ms. Noem’s floundering, including under hard questions from Republican Senators.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

For the past couple of years, investors have hoped—unsuccessfully—that the government would step up its stimulus efforts to recharge the floundering economy.

From Barron's • Mar. 5, 2026

Peninsula Luggage was floundering, and they could no longer afford our mortgage and my sister's college tuition.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi

Related Words

• amateurish
• helpless
• inadequate
• incapable
• ineffectual
• inefficient
• inept
• inexperienced
• unqualified
• unskilled
• useless