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.
They also got a feel for the issues and questions they needed to address.
From Salon ● Oct. 16, 2026
So, to end the at-bat, Skubal went to his signature changeup, which he’d regained feel for the previous inning.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026
“The phone has become less a tool and more of a stress bomb, I feel, for so many.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
"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
It may not be great poetry, but it gives you a feel for how impressed the scientific world was with Boyle’s discoveries.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
