Flounder

Quick meaning: Flounder is a noun meaning A European species of flatfish having dull brown colouring with reddish-brown blotches; fluke, European flounder (Platichthys flesus).

Meaning

A European species of flatfish having dull brown colouring with reddish-brown blotches; fluke, European flounder (Platichthys flesus).

More Meanings

1. (Canada, US) Any of various flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae or Bothidae.
2. A bootmaker's tool for crimping boot fronts.
3. (intransitive) To act clumsily or confused; to struggle or be flustered.
4. (intransitive) To flop around as a fish out of water.
5. (intransitive) To make clumsy attempts to move or regain one's balance.
6. To be in serious difficulty.

Example Sentences

They have floundered on from blunder to blunder.

He is assessing directions, but he is not lost, not floundering.

He gave a good speech, but floundered when audience members asked questions he could not answer well.

These epics nearly always had runaway trains, nincompoops floundering with the controls and a collapsed bridge just ahead!

Word Forms

• flounders
• floundering
• floundered

Synonyms for flounder

Depending on context, synonyms include faulter, stagger.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include stagger, plaice, turbot, flatfish, halibut, bot.

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