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.
"Bolivia will provide us with a feel for South American opposition, and will no doubt give us a stern test as they recover from the disappointment of defeat in the World Cup play-offs."
From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026
Styles, next week’s “SNL” host, said he just wanted to get a feel for it.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 8, 2026
The love you feel for your dog may be as deep as the ocean, as high as the sky.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026
"It can only be social pressure that's around her that's causing that. So, I do feel for her," he said.
From BBC • Feb. 9, 2026
What I feel for the Nielsens—gratitude, respect, appreciation—isn’t the same as a child’s love for her parents, not quite; though what that love is, I’m not sure I can say.
From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline
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.
