grope
grope Lexical Profile
grope Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To feel about or search blindly and uncertainly with the hands.
"She had to grope along the dark hallway until her fingers found the light switch."
To touch or fondle someone for sexual pleasure roughly or without their consent.
"The suspect was arrested after several witnesses saw him grope passengers on the subway."
To search hesitantly or uncertainly for words, an answer, or a solution.
"Caught off guard by the reporter's question, the spokesperson began to grope for a diplomatic reply."
• noun
An act of touching or fondling someone roughly for sexual pleasure, typically without their consent.
"The security footage provided clear evidence of the unwanted grope on the crowded train."
An act of feeling about blindly or uncertainly with the hands.
"A quick grope in the dark drawer yielded the spare flashlight."
Word Nuance & Usage
When used transitively with a person as the direct object, 'grope' carries a strong negative meaning of unwanted sexual touching; when used intransitively with 'for' or 'after', it neutrally describes searching blindly or hesitantly for an object or idea.
• Rhymes for grope
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English grapian ('to feel, touch, handle'), derived from a Proto-Germanic root closely related to 'grip' and 'grasp'.