Showing Results for "floundering"

floundering

American

[floun-der-ing] / ˈflaʊn dər ɪŋ /

adjective

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.
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

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

Derived Forms

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Floundering: YOU deserve better and HE cannot give you better.

From Washington Post • Oct. 11, 2022

Floundering after a brief marriage in her mid-20s, she found herself living with a sympathetic aunt in suburban Philadelphia, holding down day jobs and taking classes at night at the nearby Hedgerow Theater Company.

From New York Times • Jul. 18, 2022

Floundering, he consulted for tech startups to pay the bills and went to Bali for nearly five months, studying writing and trying to find himself on the page.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 29, 2020

Floundering after high school, David started attending a Baptist church, where he quickly found spiritual clarity and a new sense of purpose.

From Slate • Dec. 23, 2019

Floundering on its belly, it was like a vast metallic whale spouting smoke instead of seawater.

From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023