Synonyms

feel out

Idioms

Try cautiously or indirectly to ascertain someone's viewpoint or the nature of something. For example, We'd better feel out the author before we commit him to a publicity tour. This term alludes to physical groping. [Late 1800s] Also see take the pulse of.

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.

Even the most accomplished actors sometimes feel out of their depth on a movie.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 16, 2025

The discussion didn’t feel out of the ordinary for longtime listeners of “New Heights.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 25, 2025

"It's a Japanese sport but we didn't feel out of place, so many people from all around the world around us."

From BBC • Oct. 17, 2025

Aside from virality, he also thinks features like “listener counts” feel out of place.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 27, 2025

He needed time to prepare for the race and feel out this sense of wrongness in the horse.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023