flounder
Pronunciation
  • (America) IPA: /ˈflaʊndɚ/
Noun

flounder (plural flounders)

  1. A European species of flatfish having dull brown colouring with reddish-brown blotches; fluke, European flounder, Platichthys flesus.
  2. (North America) Any of various flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae or Bothidae.
  3. A bootmaker's tool for crimping boot fronts.
Translations Verb

flounder (flounders, present participle floundering; past and past participle floundered)

  1. (intransitive) To flop around as a fish out of water.
  2. (intransitive) To make clumsy attempts to move or regain one's balance.
    Robert yanked Connie's leg vigorously, causing her to flounder and eventually fall.
  3. (intransitive) To act clumsily or confused; to struggle or be flustered.
    • They have floundered on from blunder to blunder.
    He gave a good speech, but floundered when audience members asked questions he could not answer well.
    • 1996, Janette Turner Hospital, Oyster, Virago Press, paperback edition, page 136
      He is assessing directions, but he is not lost, not floundering.
  4. To be in serious difficulty.
Translations
  • Portuguese: debater-se
  • Russian: бара́хтаться
Translations Translations
  • Russian: сбива́ться
  • Spanish: trastabillar, titubear



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