flounder
- flounder
- [[t]fla͟ʊndə(r)[/t]]
flounders, floundering, floundered
(The plural form for meaning 4 can be either flounder or flounders.)
1) VERB If something is floundering, it has many problems and may soon fail completely.
What a pity that his career was left to flounder...
The economy was floundering.
Syn:
2)
VERB (
disapproval) If you say that someone
is floundering, you are criticizing them for not making decisions or for not knowing what to say or do.
Right now, you've got a president who's floundering, trying to find some way to get his campaign jump-started...
[V around] I know that you're floundering around, trying to grasp at any straw.
Syn:
3) VERB If you flounder in water or mud, you move in an uncontrolled way, trying not to sink.
[V adv/prep] Three men were floundering about in the water. [Also V]
4) N-VAR A flounder is a flat fish that you can eat.
N-UNCOUNT
Flounder is this fish eaten as food.
Mr. Dambar had loaded his plate with stuffed flounder.
English dictionary.
2008.
:
Look at other dictionaries:
Flounder — (rarely: fluke) are flatfish that live in ocean waters ie., Northern Atlantic and waters along the east coast of the United States and Canada, and the Pacific Ocean, as well. The name flounder refers to several geographically and taxonomically… … Wikipedia
Flounder — Floun der, n. [Cf. Sw. flundra; akin to Dan. flynder, Icel. fly?ra, G. flunder, and perh. to E. flounder, v.i.] 1. (Zo[ o]l.) A flatfish of the family {Pleuronectid[ae]}, of many species. [1913 Webster] Note: The common English flounder is… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
flounder — flounder, founder These two words are easily confused because their form and meanings are both close. The physical meaning of flounder is ‘to struggle in mud or while wading’ and hence ‘to stumble or move clumsily’, and from these meanings… … Modern English usage
flounder — Ⅰ. flounder [1] ► VERB 1) stagger clumsily in mud or water. 2) have trouble doing or understanding something. USAGE On the confusion of flounder and founder, see the note at FOUNDER(Cf. ↑founder) … English terms dictionary
Flounder — Floun der, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Floundered}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Floundering}.] [Cf. D. flodderen to flap, splash through mire, E. flounce, v.i., and flounder the fish.] To fling the limbs and body, as in making efforts to move; to struggle, as a… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
flounder — UK US /ˈflaʊndər/ verb [I] ► to have serious financial or economic problems: »Stock markets all over the world are floundering due to the current recession. »In spite of a slight increase in exports, the economy continues to flounder. floundering … Financial and business terms
flounder — flounder1 [floun′dər] vi. [earlier flunder, ? blend of BLUNDER + FOUNDER1] 1. to struggle awkwardly to move, as in deep mud or snow; plunge about in a stumbling manner 2. to speak or act in an awkward, confused manner, with hesitation and… … English World dictionary
Flounder — Floun der, n. The act of floundering. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
flounder — index mismanage Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 … Law dictionary
flounder — vb *stumble, trip, blunder, lurch, lumber, galumph, lollop, bumble Analogous words: struggle, strive (see ATTEMPT): toil, travail, labor (see corresponding nouns at WORK): *wallow, welter … New Dictionary of Synonyms
flounder — [v] struggle; be in the dark blunder, bobble, cast about, come apart at the seams*, drop the ball*, fall down, flop, flummox, foul up*, fumble, go at backwards*, go to pieces*, grope, labor, lurch, make a mess of, miss one’s cue*, muddle, plunge … New thesaurus
