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.

---

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

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

When Robert Duvall was floundering around in college, his father, a career Navy man who retired with the rank of rear admiral, told him to shape up — and start acting.

From Los Angeles Times

Germany were floundering at that stage and, although they cut the deficit, Mouat closed out another couple in the ninth end to secure the win.

From BBC

Homan, for whom Olympic gold has proved elusive throughout a stellar career, was floundering.

From BBC

Shares have surged 42% this year amid excitement about a pipeline of cancer drugs that could drive earnings growth at a time when the company’s core respiratory vaccine business is floundering.

From Barron's

Related Words

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