FLAILING Definition & Meaning

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flailing

[ fley-ling ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

the act of moving one’s limbs or body about randomly and wildly (often followed by around or about ):
The patient had to be sedated, as her flailing gave the nurse a bloody nose.
the act or process of making desperate attempts to respond to a difficult or awkward situation (often followed by around or about ):
Embracing the challenge of doing business differently doesn't just mean more effort, more mindless flailing around.
the act or process of beating grain with a flail to separate the kernel from the chaff:
As wheat production increased, flailing and winnowing were replaced with threshing machines and fanning mills.

adjective

moving about randomly and wildly, or making desperate attempts to respond to a challenge:
I was pushed out of bed by the flailing limbs of my overexcited little boy.
There was no real strike, only a flailing protest by unions trying to become relevant again.

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of flailing¹

First recorded in 1850–55; flail ( def ) + -ing ¹( def ) for the noun senses; flail ( def ) + -ing ²( def ) for the adjective sense

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Man Utd and Spurs, two traditional giants, are in the bottom half of the table and flailing wildly.

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The more prestigious Russell Group of research-rich universities have gone after the students that would previously have gone to middle-ranking institutions, leaving the latter financially flailing.

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However, away from the House of Commons the SNP MP was "flailing through life" and became ill through depression and anxiety, she has told the BBC.

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Her backing was considered pivotal in reviving what had appeared to be a flailing nomination.

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And then they certainly could have stolen the Super Bowl from the flailing Kansas City Chiefs.

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