verb
flounder
FLOWN-duh
verb
1
To struggle clumsily or act confused, especially when trying to make progress.
"The new employee floundered without proper training."
"She floundered for words when asked to explain."
noun
1
A type of flatfish found in shallow coastal waters.
"They caught a flounder off the pier."
How to Use Flounder
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo struggle awkwardly, or a kind of flatfish.
Common mistake
Don't confuse with "founder," which means to fail or sink completely — flounder means to struggle, not necessarily to fail outright.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
flounder helplessly
flounder about
Word Forms
floundered past tense, flounder plural, flounders plural, flounders singular
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “flounder”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The new employee _____ without proper training.
Etymology
From Middle English flowndre, ultimately from Old Norse flyðra, the name of the fish.