flounce

¹ American  

[flouns] / flaʊns /

verb (used without object)

flounced, flouncing

1. to go with impatient or impetuous, exaggerated movements.

   The star flounced out of the studio in a rage.

   Synonyms:

   bounce, prance, bound, storm

2. to throw the body about spasmodically; flounder.

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noun

1. an act or instance of flouncing; a flouncing movement.

flounce ² American  

[flouns] / flaʊns /

noun

1. a strip of material gathered or pleated and attached at one edge, with the other edge left loose or hanging: used for trimming, as on the edge of a skirt or sleeve or on a curtain, slipcover, etc.

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verb (used with object)

flounced, flouncing

1. to trim with flounces.

flounce ¹ British  

/ flaʊns /

verb

1. (intr; often foll by about, away, out, etc) to move or go with emphatic or impatient movements

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noun

1. the act of flouncing

flounce ² British  

/ flaʊns /

noun

1. an ornamental gathered ruffle sewn to a garment by its top edge

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Usage

What else does flounce mean? The internet slang term flounce means "to leave an online group in a dramatic manner," and may or may not involve burning a few bridges or stirring the pot on the way out.

Etymology

Origin of flounce¹

1535–45; of obscure origin; perhaps akin to Norwegian flunsa to hurry

Origin of flounce²

First recorded in 1665–75; alteration of obsolete frounce wrinkle

Explanation

To flounce is to move in an exaggerated, emphatic way, especially if your movement expresses anger or impatience. A young child who doesn't like what's for dinner might stand up and flounce away from the table. If you feel you've been misunderstood, you might need to stifle the urge to flounce off in a huff — it's more mature to stay and try to explain yourself. Flounce is also a noun, meaning both the action of flouncing and a ruffle: "I'll make this dress look fancier by sewing a flounce on the bottom." The huffy movement meaning came first, possibly from a Scandinavian source.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

flounce flounced flouncing

We've seen Cristiano Ronaldo flounce his way out of Hampden.

From BBC ● Nov. 19, 2024

For fall, diaphanous tiers of 1970s flounce in almost angelically light hues defined the show’s aesthetic inside a brutalist warehouse space.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 29, 2024

Ana de Armas, best actress nominee for "Blonde," wore a silver column dress with a flamenco dancer-like flounce on the bottom.

From Reuters ● Mar. 13, 2023

One morning, their mother asked Nelson to wear her loveliest dress, a dark frock with a flounce at the bottom, and then piled her and Cook into the landlord’s car while he drove.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 2, 2020

Anastasia nods with approval as I flounce out to show her.

From "Blended" by Sharon M. Draper

After stranding runners in scoring position in each of his first three innings, Miller flexed, fist-pumped and flounced his way off the rubber.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2023

A few months later, he quietly crawled back to Twitter and starting posting again, never acknowledging that he had flounced away in righteous indignation.

From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2021

Goldwater girls, dressed in sombreros and tasseled boots, flounced around while California delegates holding helium-filled, gold-colored balloons waved a large Bear Flag.

From Slate ● May 12, 2016

I would have said “no one’s pressuring me,” as I flounced along to Stringfellows if that’s where the party went.

From The Guardian ● Jan. 23, 2016

He flounced off, swishing his tail, muttering about going outside to take the air.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

Manuel Puig’s “Kiss of the Spider Woman” is perhaps best known in the U.S. as the film that won William Hurt an Oscar for flouncing around a prison cell in a kimono.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 6, 2023

The girl was timid with strangers, but exuberant at home – playing practical jokes, haranguing her parents with mock political speeches or flouncing around in her ballet costumes.

From The Guardian ● Feb. 2, 2016

Mine were in tatters long before he came flouncing onstage for the last time, having been shredded by the comic banality of most of the material.

From New York Times ● Aug. 9, 2013

To the couple's relief, the woman eventually backed down, merely flouncing out with the guitar before disappearing in a blue Jaguar.

From BBC ● Feb. 3, 2013

“You couldn’t catch me,” snotnosed Katie said, flouncing away and galumphing loudly down the carpeted stairs.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols