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flounder

verb
🔊/ˈflaʊndə(r)/
🔊/ˈflaʊndər/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they flounder
🔊/ˈflaʊndə(r)/
🔊/ˈflaʊndər/
he / she / it flounders
🔊/ˈflaʊndəz/
🔊/ˈflaʊndərz/
past simple floundered
🔊/ˈflaʊndəd/
🔊/ˈflaʊndərd/
past participle floundered
🔊/ˈflaʊndəd/
🔊/ˈflaʊndərd/
-ing form floundering
🔊/ˈflaʊndərɪŋ/
🔊/ˈflaʊndərɪŋ/
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  1. [intransitive, transitive] to struggle to know what to say or do or how to continue with something不知所措；挠头；支吾
    • His abrupt change of subject left her floundering helplessly.他突然改变话题，使她茫然不知所措。🔊🔊
    • + speech ‘Well, I, er…’ he floundered.“好吧，我，呃……”他挣扎着。
  2. [intransitive] to have a lot of problems and to be in danger of failing completely困难重重；艰苦挣扎
    • At that time the industry was floundering.那时这个行业举步维艰。🔊🔊
    • The new democracy there continues to flounder.那里的新民主继续挣扎。
    Topics Difficulty and failurec2
  3. [intransitive] + adv./prep. to struggle to move or get somewhere in water, mud, etc.（在水、泥等中）挣扎
    • She was floundering around in the deep end of the swimming pool.她在游泳池深水区挣扎着。🔊🔊
    • A man came floundering through the snow towards us.一个人在雪地里挣扎着朝我们走来。
    4. Word Originverb late 16th cent.: perhaps a blend of founder ‘to fill with water and sink’ and blunder, or perhaps symbolic, fl- frequently beginning words connected with swift or sudden movement.

flounder

noun
🔊/ˈflaʊndə(r)/
🔊/ˈflaʊndər/
(plural flounder, flounders)
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  1. a small flat sea fish that is used for food偏口鱼；比目鱼；鲽Topics Fish and shellfishc2
    Word Originnoun Middle English: from Old French flondre, probably of Scandinavian origin and related to Danish flynder.