flounder

1 of 2

noun

floun·​der ˈflau̇n-dər 

plural flounder or flounders

: flatfish

especially : any of various marine fishes (families Pleuronectidae, Paralichthyidae, and Bothidae) that include important food fishes

flounder

2 of 2

verb

floundered; floundering ˈflau̇n-d(ə-)riŋ 

intransitive verb

1

: to struggle to move or obtain footing : thrash about wildly

The poor horse was floundering in the mud.

2

: to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually

… the normally surefooted governor floundered a moment like a prize pupil caught unprepared.

—Time

Did you know?

There’s nothing fishy about flounder... the verb, that is. While the noun referring to a common food fish is of Scandinavian origin, the verb flounder, which dates to the late 16th century, is likely an alteration of an older verb, founder. The two verbs have been confused ever since. Today, founder is most often used as a synonym of fail, or, in contexts involving a waterborne vessel, as a word meaning “to fill with water and sink.” Formerly, it was also frequently applied when a horse stumbled badly and was unable to keep walking. It’s likely this sense of founder led to the original and now-obsolete meaning of flounder: “to stumble.” In modern use, flounder typically means “to struggle” or “to act clumsily”; the word lacks the finality of founder, which usually suggests complete collapse or failure, as that of a sinking ship.

Synonyms of flounder

Verb

• stumble
• struggle

Examples of flounder in a Sentence

Verb

The horses were floundering through the deep snow.

He was floundering around in the pool like an amateur.

After watching me flounder for a few minutes, my instructor took over.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

As Russia’s economy flounders, dependence on China becomes more entrenched, with China hoovering up over a quarter of Russia’s exports. —Charlie Campbell, Time, 20 May 2026

From rich, meaty cuts like swordfish and salmon to more delicate fillets like snapper and flounder, fish thrives over high heat—developing a smoky char while staying tender and flaky inside. —Phoebe Fry, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 May 2026

Verb

That mission has floundered in recent weeks with the departure of politicians who were key to the coalition agreement. —Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 29 May 2026

The Broncos faltered in the snow, the Nuggets floundered on the hardwood, and now the Avalanche fail on ice. —Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 29 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Norwegian flundra flounder

Verb

probably alteration of founder

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1592, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing flounder

• summer flounder
• winter flounder
• yellowtail flounder

Rhymes for flounder

• founder
• pounder
• rounder
• sounder
• cofounder
• compounder
• expounder
• profounder

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Kids Definition

flounder

1 of 2 noun

floun·​der ˈflau̇n-dər 

plural flounder or flounders

: flatfish

especially : any of various important marine food fishes

flounder

2 of 2 verb

floundered; floundering -d(ə-)riŋ 

: to struggle or go clumsily

floundering through the deep snow

Etymology

Noun

Middle English flounder "a flatfish"; of Scandinavian origin

Verb

probably an altered form of founder