feel for
Idioms-
Grope, reach for with one's hands, as in It was pitch dark, and I felt for the doorknob . [Early 1700s]
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feel for someone . Sympathize with or feel sorry for someone, as in Tom was so upset that I felt for him . This usage was put as feel with by Shakespeare: “It resounds as if it felt with Scotland” ( Macbeth , 4:3). Both senses of feel for are present in the somewhat sarcastic I feel for you but I can't quite reach you , meaning “Too bad, but I don't really feel sorry for you.”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"I feel for Pakistan because this is embarrassing with everything they've had to cope with in the last week," he said.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
To get a better feel for a community, hang around after checking out the home you are considering.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
“It’s not season-ending. ... So, I would expect him back, knowing him, on the earlier side. ... I feel for him because he’s having such a good year.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
“I feel for the customers because it’s a horrible experience,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
Tonight, he thought, and put his hand out to feel for rain.
From "The Martian Chronicles" by Ray Bradbury
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
