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.
You develop a feel for probability that you can’t get from doing equations.
From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026
To get a feel for all the potential volatility, let’s first look at the Fed.
From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026
If possible, she added, “go visit the hospice office, because if it’s a scammer, there won’t be an office. Get a feel for the organization. How well resourced is it?”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2026
"It was very good for him to regain his rhythm and feel for the game. Understandably, he's quite tired after being sidelined for so long. We have to be very happy with his performance."
From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026
“Pa isn’t the kind of man for whom I can feel what I feel for you, for example, or for Mauve,” Vincent tells Theo.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
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.
