Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- intransitive verb To move clumsily or with little progress, as through water or mud. synonym: blunder.
- intransitive verb To act or function in a confused or directionless manner; struggle.
- noun The act of floundering.
- noun Any of various marine flatfishes chiefly of the families Bothidae and Pleuronectidae, including several important food fishes.
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
[Probably alteration of founder.]
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
[Middle English, from Anglo-Norman floundre, of Scandinavian origin; see plat- in Indo-European roots.]
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word floun·der.
Examples
Sorry, no example sentences found.
Comments
Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.