"struggle awkwardly and impotently," especially when hampered somehow, 1590s, of uncertain origin, perhaps an alteration of founder (q.v.), influenced by Dutch flodderen "to flop about," or native verbs in fl- expressing clumsy motion. Figurative use is from 1680s. Related: Floundered; floundering. As a noun, "act of struggling," by 1867.
flounder (n.)
"flatfish," c. 1300, from Anglo-French floundre, Old North French flondre, from Old Norse flydhra, from Proto-Germanic *flunthrjo (cognates: Middle Low German vlundere, Danish flynder, Old Swedish flundra "flatfish"), suffixed and nasalized form of PIE *plat- "to spread" (cognate: Greek platys "flat, wide, broad;" see plaice (n.)).
实用例句
1. What a pity that his career was left to flounder.
多么可惜，他的事业深陷困局。
来自柯林斯例句
2. Mr. Dambar had loaded his plate with stuffed flounder.
但拔先生的餐盘里盛满了填馅的比目鱼。
来自柯林斯例句
3. The plane had begun to drop and flounder wildly.
飞机已经开始下降,剧烈地颠簸着.
来自辞典例句
4. He couldn't swim and just flounder about in the water.
