flail

1 of 2

noun

ˈflāl 

: a hand threshing implement consisting of a wooden handle at the end of which a stouter and shorter stick is so hung as to swing freely

flail

2 of 2

verb

flailed; flailing; flails

transitive verb

1

a

: to strike with or as if with a flail

The bird's wings flailed the water.

b

: to move, swing, or beat as if wielding a flail

flailing a club to drive away the insects

2

: to thresh (grain) with a flail

intransitive verb

: to move, swing, or beat like a flail

arms flailing in the water

Synonyms

Verb

• beat
• flap
• flop
• flutter
• whip

Examples of flail in a Sentence

Verb

They were flailing their arms to drive away the insects.

The wounded animal lay on the ground, flailing helplessly.

He was wildly flailing about on the dance floor.

The bird's wings flailed the water.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

This drama stems from Low’s flailing attempts to halt the recount of ballots after his extraordinary tie with Joe Simitian for second place in the primary election. —Ann Ravel, The Mercury News, 13 July 2024

As Biden flailed, Trump defamed Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the great man of our time, and Biden did nothing. —Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 6 July 2024

In the years that followed, Harris had little luck—or, to be fair, help from the White House—in wresting control of a media narrative that has portrayed her as flailing, devoid of professional purpose, a bad manager, a bit of a kook. —Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 5 July 2024

Truss, whose term lasted seven weeks, was succeeded by the current prime minister, Rishi Sunak, whose flailing policies could not reverse the damage done by his predecessors. —Lee Hockstader, Washington Post, 5 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English fleil, flail, partly from Old English *flegel (whence Old English fligel), from Late Latin flagellum flail, from Latin, whip & partly from Anglo-French flael, from Late Latin flagellum — more at flagellate

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Kids Definition

flail

1 of 2 noun

ˈflā(ə)l 

: a tool for threshing grain by hand

flail

2 of 2 verb

1

: to strike with or as if with a flail

2

: to move or wave about as if swinging a flail

flailed their arms

Medical Definition

flail

adjective

ˈflā(ə)l 

: exhibiting abnormal mobility and loss of response to normal controls

—used of body parts damaged by paralysis, injury, or surgery

flail joint