(flounders, floundering, floundered)
1.
If something is floundering, it has many problems and may soon fail completely.
What a pity that his career was left to flounder...
The economy was floundering.
= founder
VERB: V, V
2.
If you say that someone is floundering, you are criticizing them for not making decisions or for not knowing what to say or do.
Right now, you've got a president who's floundering, trying to find some way to get his campaign jump-started...
I know that you're floundering around, trying to grasp at any straw.
= dither
VERB: V, V around [disapproval]
3.
If you flounder in water or mud, you move in an uncontrolled way, trying not to sink.
Three men were floundering about in the water.
VERB: V adv/prep, also V