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.
"We really feel for the local community there and the family, friends and loved ones of the person that is deceased," he told national broadcaster ABC.
From Barron's
Spoken-word post-punk works best when the band surrounding the vocalist has an acute feel for melody—without a singer dispensing catchy musical phrases, the instrumentalists have to pick up the slack.
“Timothée wound up getting a better feel for it than most professional players because professional players take the cue from the ball. You take the ball away, they all were like ‘What is the timing?’
From Los Angeles Times
Despite her age, Ryabov said, Polina shows advanced skills with the pottery wheel and has a good feel for the right thickness and balance of clay.
The ADF gap year programme has been in operation for more than a decade, with applicants offered the chance "get a feel for military life while enjoying unique experiences you can't find anywhere else".
From BBC
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.
