grope

1 of 2

verb

groped; groping

intransitive verb

1
: to feel about blindly or uncertainly in search
grope for the light switch
2
: to look for something blindly or uncertainly
grope for the right words
3
: to feel one's way
groped along the dark passage

transitive verb

1
: feel up
claims that her boss tried to grope her
2
: to find (one's way) by groping
groper noun

grope

2 of 2

noun

plural gropes
: an act of groping
made a grope for the light switch
And what are these clumsy, embarrassing, fumbling encounters if they are not passes, beery gropes in the dark?Nick Hornby

Examples of grope in a Sentence

Verb I groped for the light switch. She groped around in her purse, looking for her comb. We groped along the dark passage. She claims that her boss tried to grope her.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Jessica Leeds accused Trump in October 2016 of groping her on a plane in the 1970s and recounted her allegations in testimony for Carroll's civil case. Sareen Habeshian, Axios, 27 Oct. 2024 Former model Stacey Williams says Donald Trump groped her after being introduced to him by Jeffrey Epstein in 1993. Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 24 Oct. 2024
Noun
On numerous occasions, under the guise of helping a stylist prepare Richard for performances, Combs would also barge into her changing room unannounced and grope parts of her body without her consent, the lawsuit also alleges. Janelle Griffith, NBC News, 11 Sep. 2024 He was arrested in December 2017 on similar charges when former members went to police after seeing Stair grope a 12-year-old in front of his congregation on YouTube. Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 16 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for grope 

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English grāpian; akin to Old English grīpan to seize

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

circa 1513, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of grope was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near grope

Cite this Entry

“Grope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grope. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

grope

verb
groped; groping
1
: to seek by or as if by feeling around uncertainly
groped for the light switch
grope for the right word
2
: to feel one's way by groping
grope along a wall

More from Merriam-Webster on grope

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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