flounder1

 
Pronunciation: /ˈflaʊndə/

verb

[no object]
  • struggle or stagger clumsily in mud or water: he was floundering about in the shallow offshore waters
  • struggle mentally; show or feel great confusion: she floundered, not knowing quite what to say
  • be in serious difficulty: many firms are floundering

Derivatives

flounderer

noun

Origin:

late 16th century: perhaps a blend of founder3 and blunder, or perhaps symbolic, fl- frequently beginning words connected with swift or sudden movement

Do not confuse flounder with founder. Flounder means 'stagger clumsily in mud or water' or 'be confused or in difficulty' ( new recruits floundering about in the first week), whereas founder means 'fail or come to nothing' ( the scheme foundered because of lack of backing).