feel for

1. 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.”

2. Grope, reach for with one's hands, as in It was pitch dark, and I felt for the doorknob . [Early 1700s]

Example Sentences

“When we were trying to get a certain feel for a song, Dwight would cite a bass part from an old Byrds song from the ’60s,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

When Vi stands up to Caitlyn for making this immoral decision, Caitlyn shows that the prejudice she feels for other Zaun natives can be extended even to the one she claims to love.

From Salon

I felt muscles tighten and instincts sharpen as I developed a cyclist’s feel for the flow of traffic.

From Los Angeles Times

“I feel for the men and women who live around that area who have depended on these jobs for decades. The refinery was there first, not the homes,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

Initial sessions tend to be colored by weeping, hesitancy and half-truths as the clinician and client get a feel for each other.

From Salon

Related Words

• approach
• attain
• contact
• end
• go
• join
• lead
• make
• pass
• stand
• strike