flounder
Fetched 2026-11-03 (live).
Synonyms: founder, flyunder, lounder, blunder, plunder, flounce, founded, sounder, bounder, foulder, flounders
Antonyms: founder, flyunder, lounder, blunder, plunder, flounce, founded, sounder, bounder, foulder, flounders
Related words from Datamuse; suggestions, not definitions.
Noun
- A European species of flatfish having dull brown colouring with reddish-brown blotches; fluke, European flounder (Platichthys flesus).
- Any of various flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae or Bothidae.
- A bootmaker's tool for crimping boot fronts.
Verb
- To act clumsily or confused; to struggle or be flustered.
- He gave a good speech, but floundered when audience members asked questions he could not answer well.
- To flop around as a fish out of water.
- To make clumsy attempts to move or regain one's balance.
- Robert yanked Connie's leg vigorously, causing her to flounder and eventually fall.
- To be in serious difficulty.
Source: Wiktionary · CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wiktionary) · cached copy, not a rewrite.