flounder (flounders plural & 3rd person present) (floundering present participle) (floundered past tense & past participle )
1 verb If something is floundering, it has many problems and may soon fail completely.
(=founder)
What a pity that his career was left to flounder... V
2 verb If you say that someone is floundering, you are criticizing them for not making decisions or for not knowing what to say or do., (disapproval)
(=dither)
Right now, you've got a president who's floundering, trying to find some way to get his campaign jump-started... V
3 verb 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. V adv/prep, Also V