grope

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grope

(grōp)

v. groped, grop·ing, gropes

v.intr.

1. To reach about uncertainly; feel one's way: groped for the telephone.

2. To search blindly or uncertainly: grope for an answer.

v.tr.

1. To make (one's way) by reaching about uncertainly.

2. Slang To handle or fondle for sexual pleasure.

The act or an instance of groping.

[Middle English gropen, from Old English grāpian.]

grop′er n.

grop′ing·ly adv.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

grope

(ɡrəʊp)

1. (usually foll by: for) to feel or search about uncertainly (for something) with the hands

2. (intr; usually foll by for or after) to search uncertainly or with difficulty (for a solution, answer, etc)

3. (tr) to find or make (one's way) by groping

4. (tr) slang to feel or fondle the body of (someone) for sexual gratification

the act of groping

[Old English grāpian; related to Old High German greifōn, Norwegian greipa; compare gripe]

ˈgropingly adv

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

grope

(groʊp)

v. groped, grop•ing,
n. v.i.

1. to feel about with the hands; feel one's way hesitantly: to grope around in the darkness.

2. to search blindly or uncertainly: to be groping for an answer.

v.t.

3. to seek by or as if by groping: to grope one's way up the dark stairs.

4. Slang. to touch or handle (someone) for sexual pleasure; fondle.

5. an act or instance of groping.

6. Slang. an act or instance of sexually fondling another person.

[before 900; Old English grāpian, derivative of grāp grasp; akin to grip, gripe]

grop′er, n.

grop′ing•ly, adv.

grope

Past participle: groped
Gerund: groping

Imperative
grope
grope

Present
I grope
you grope
he/she/it gropes
we grope
you grope
they grope

Preterite
I groped
you groped
he/she/it groped
we groped
you groped
they groped

Present Continuous
I am groping
you are groping
he/she/it is groping
we are groping
you are groping
they are groping

Present Perfect
I have groped
you have groped
he/she/it has groped
we have groped
you have groped
they have groped

Past Continuous
I was groping
you were groping
he/she/it was groping
we were groping
you were groping
they were groping

Past Perfect
I had groped
you had groped
he/she/it had groped
we had groped
you had groped
they had groped

Future
I will grope
you will grope
he/she/it will grope
we will grope
you will grope
they will grope

Future Perfect
I will have groped
you will have groped
he/she/it will have groped
we will have groped
you will have groped
they will have groped

Future Continuous
I will be groping
you will be groping
he/she/it will be groping
we will be groping
you will be groping
they will be groping

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been groping
you have been groping
he/she/it has been groping
we have been groping
you have been groping
they have been groping

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been groping
you will have been groping
he/she/it will have been groping
we will have been groping
you will have been groping
they will have been groping

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been groping
you had been groping
he/she/it had been groping
we had been groping
you had been groping
they had been groping

Conditional
I would grope
you would grope
he/she/it would grope
we would grope
you would grope
they would grope

Past Conditional
I would have groped
you would have groped
he/she/it would have groped
we would have groped
you would have groped
they would have groped

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	grope - the act of groping; and instance of groping touching, touch - the act of putting two things together with no space between them; "at his touch the room filled with lights"
Verb	1.	grope - feel about uncertainly or blindly; "She groped for her glasses in the darkness of the bedroom" fumble look for, search, seek - try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of; "The police are searching for clues"; "They are searching for the missing man in the entire county" grope for, scrabble - feel searchingly; "She groped for his keys in the dark"
	2.	grope - search blindly or uncertainly; "His mind groped to make the connection" attempt, essay, try, assay, seek - make an effort or attempt; "He tried to shake off his fears"; "The infant had essayed a few wobbly steps"; "The police attempted to stop the thief"; "He sought to improve himself"; "She always seeks to do good in the world"
	3.	grope - fondle for sexual pleasure; "He made some sexual advances at the woman in his office and groped her repeatedly" caress, fondle - touch or stroke lightly in a loving or endearing manner; "He caressed her face"; "They fondled in the back seat of the taxi"

grope

verb

1. feel, search, fumble, flounder, fish, finger, scrabble, cast about, fossick (Austral. & N.Z.) He groped in his pocket for his wallet.

2. fondle, touch, stroke, caress He kept trying to grope her breasts.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

grope

verb

To reach about or search blindly or uncertainly:

feel, fumble, grabble, poke.

Translations

يَتَحَسَّسيَتَحَسَّس، يَبْحَث على غَيْر هُدى

tápatšmátrat

famle

tasten

αισθάνομαι ψηλαφώ

andar a tientas

hapuilla

tâtonner palper sentir tâter

tapkati

fálma eftir

brancolare cercare a tastoni cercare a tentoni palpare tastare

手探りする

손으로 더듬다

ieškoti apgraibomis

iet taustotiesmeklēttaustīties

tipati

tafsa på

คลำ

el yordamıyla aramakelle yoklamak

mò mẫm

摸索

grope

[grəʊp]

A. VI (also grope around, grope about) → andar a tientas, tantear
to grope for sth (lit, fig) → buscar algo a tientas

B. VT

1. to grope one's way (through/towards) → avanzar a tientas (por/hacia)

2. to grope sb (sexually) → toquetear a algn

C. N (sexual) they had a grope → se estuvieron toqueteando, se estuvieron metiendo mano

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

grope

[ˈgrəʊp]

(= feel) to grope for sth (in darkness) → chercher qch à tâtons; (in bag, pocket) → tâtonner pour trouver qch
He groped for the light switch → Il a cherché à tâtons l'interrupteur.

to grope for [+ words, answer] → tâtonner pour trouver
She groped for the right words → Elle tâtonnait pour trouver les bons mots.

to grope one's way through the darkness → avancer à tâtons dans l'obscurité
I groped my way across the room → J'ai avancé à tâtons dans la pièce.

[+ woman] → peloter

grope

vi (also grope around or about) → (herum)tasten (for nach); (for words, solution) → suchen (for nach); to be groping in the dark → im Dunkeln tappen; (= try things at random) → vor sich (acc) → hin wursteln (inf); groping hands → tastende Hände pl

vt → tasten nach; (inf) girlfriend → befummeln (inf); to grope one’s way → sich vorwärtstasten; to grope (one’s way) in/out → sich hinein-/hinaustasten; they are groping (their way) toward(s) a cure → sie bemühen sich darum, ein Heilmittel zu finden

n (inf) to have a grope → fummeln (inf); a quick grope → eine schnelle Fummelei (inf)

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

grope

[grəʊp]

1. vi (also grope around, grope about) → brancolare, andare a tentoni
to grope for sth → cercare qc a tentoni or a tastoni (fig) (for words) → cercare (disperatamente)

2. vt to grope one's way through → farsi strada a tentoni in or tra
to grope one's way towards → andare a tentoni verso
to grope sb (fam) (sexually) → mettere le mani addosso a qn

grope

(grəup) verb

to search for something by feeling with one's hands. He groped his way through the smoke; He groped for the door.

grope

→ يَتَحَسَّس šmátrat famle tasten ψηλαφώ andar a tientas hapuilla tâtonner tapkati cercare a tastoni 手探りする 손으로 더듬다 rondtasten famle pójść po omacku tatear нащупывать tafsa på คลำ elle yoklamak mò mẫm 摸索

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References in classic literature ?

In the meantime the supervisor rode on, as fast as he could, to Kitt's Hole; but his men had to dismount and grope down the dingle, leading, and sometimes supporting, their horses, and in continual fear of ambushes; so it was no great matter for surprise that when they got down to the Hole the lugger was already under way, though still close in.

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Of filthy darkness grope: We did not dare to breathe a prayer,

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And for twelve years Elam Harnish had continued to grope for gold among the shadows of the Circle.

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Rose said it so fervently that Mac was moved to grope for her apron and hold on to a corner of it, as if it was comfortable to feel her near him.

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Gloucester saw its former red light district renamed Love Lane, while Hereford's darkest street went from Grope Lane to Jail Street.