Flounder Meaning
/ˈflaʊ̯ndəː/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA European species of flatfish having dull brown colouring with reddish-brown blotches; fluke, European flounder (Platichthys flesus).
nounAny of various flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae or Bothidae.
Sentence Examples
How long did you flounder around before you asked for help?
An adult flounder has both eyes on the same side of its face.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The inexperienced speaker began to ____ during his presentation, forgetting his notes and losing his place.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The student began to ____ when the teacher asked him a very difficult question about physics.
Word Origin & History
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.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Water Souchy.
Eels, whitings, soles, flounders, and mackerel are generally used. Stew it in clear fish stock, until done, eight minutes will be enough; add cayenne, catsup, an anchovy, and any other flavouring ingredient; let it boil up, skim, and serve hot altogether in a tureen."
— 1851, Anne Cobbett, The English Housekeeper, Chapter 13:
"Blackfishing from the beach. I've done my research. Hundreds of shipwrecks line the Jersey coast, and many of them are close enough to reach with a long cast on a dead-low tide. These wrecks hold tautog, porgies, sea bass, flounder."
— 2014, Nick Honachefsky, The Jersey Surf Diaries:
"They have floundered on from blunder to blunder."
— a. 1857, William Hamilton, edited by H[enry] L[ongueville] Mansel and John Veitch, Lectures on Metaphysics and Logic […], volume (please specify |volume=I to IV), Edinburgh; London: William Blackwood and Sons, published 1859–1860, →OCLC:
"These epics nearly always had runaway trains, nincompoops floundering with the controls and a collapsed bridge just ahead!"
— 1958 February 26, David Gunston, “Railways on the Screen”, in Railway Magazine, page 88:
"He is assessing directions, but he is not lost, not floundering."
— 1996, Janette Turner Hospital, Oyster, paperback edition, Virago Press, page 136:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The inexperienced speaker began to ____ during his presentation, forgetting his notes and losing his place.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The student began to ____ when the teacher asked him a very difficult question about physics.