ENGLISH
REFERENCE

flounce off

phr. v..
C1 Advanced Oxford British English Informal

phr. v.. to leave a place or a person in an angry or annoyed way, often moving your body to show you are upset.

phr. v.. to depart in a sudden, impatient, or exaggeratedly indignant manner; often implies a performative display of resentment or wounded pride.


SIMPLE

She didn't like my answer, so she flounced off to her room.

CONTEXTUAL

After the manager rejected his request for a raise, Mark flounced off without saying goodbye to his colleagues.

COMPLEX

Offended by the critic's dismissive tone, the artist gathered her belongings and flounced off, leaving the interviewers in stunned silence.

Particles
off
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
flounce + off
Usage

usually describes a physical movement that expresses a dramatic or childish emotional state.

Teaching tip

the verb 'flounce' suggests bouncy or jerky movements; help students visualize the physical 'drama' of the exit to distinguish it from a simple 'walk away'.

Pitfall

He flounced off the room.He flounced off to his room.'flounce off' is usually intransitive; use 'to' or 'into' if you want to mention the destination.

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