flounder

Noun

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

Verb

1. (intransitive) To act clumsily or confused; to struggle or be flustered.
2. (intransitive) To flop around as a fish out of water.
3. (intransitive) To make clumsy attempts to move or regain one's balance.
4. To be in serious difficulty.

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈflaʊndɚ/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: flowndre

Cognate with Danish: flynder

Cognate with German: Flunder

Cognate with Swedish: flundra

In summary

From Middle English flowndre, from Anglo-Norman floundre, from Old Northern French flondre, from Old Norse flyðra, from Proto-Germanic *flunþrijǭ. Cognate with Danish flynder, German Flunder, Swedish flundra.

Synonyms

flatfish

wallow

stagger

roll

sole

struggle

blunder

falter

roll around

plaice

waver

splash around

hesitate

stumble

founder

totter

reel

careen

lurch

bumble

dab

squelch

squirm

stir

strive

swag

sway

teeter

tergiversate

turbot

vacillate

wallop

welter

wobble

wriggle

writhe

crawl about

make mistakes

fish

🐟

Georges bank flounder

carrelet

emerywheel

European flatfish

sand dab

blackback

long-jaw flounder

plie rouge

rough flounder

right-eye flounder

placie

Translations

flet

bot

Flunder

linguado

platija

solha

flądra

passera

fląderka

πλευρονήκτης

spartelen

se démener

ψήσσα

se débattre

worstelen