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 their arms 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 of flail

Verb

• flutter
• flap

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

It could be described as a genre about flailing white people, the one that gave rise to Greta Gerwig in Frances Ha and Hannah Takes the Stairs and inspired the slightly younger Lena Dunham in honing the I-want-to-dissolve-into-my-seat-with-embarrassment humor of Girls. —Jada Yuan, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026

Sure, the Bulls should shut down players such as Jalen Smith and Tre Jones — winners who can prop up the rest of the flailing offense against a truly tanking team — for the rest of the season. —Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026

After flailing for more than 11 strokes lost tee-to-green across two days in Orlando, Thomas gained shots on the field with his driver and irons Thursday. —Justin Ray, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026

Maggie Gyllenhaal’s reimagining of the Bride of Frankenstein story is flailing. —ABC News, 8 Mar. 2026

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

Rhymes for flail

• ail
• ale
• bail
• baile
• dail
• fail
• frail
• gael
• gail
• grail
• hail
• jail

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