MEANING
1. To search or move by feeling with the hands when sight offers little guidance.
2. To try to find words, an explanation, or a solution without knowing how to proceed.
3. To touch someone sexually without their consent.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- grope in the dark
- grope for the switch
On the page
He had to grope for the switch behind the shelves.
Nearby words
Word forms
- Base
- grope
- Past tense
- groped
- Past participle
- groped
- Present participle
- groping
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- grope
- Present continuous
- am/is/are groping
- Present perfect
- have/has groped
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been groping
- Past
- groped
- Past continuous
- was/were groping
- Past perfect
- had groped
- Past perfect continuous
- had been groping
- Future
- will grope
- Future continuous
- will be groping
- Future perfect
- will have groped
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been groping
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary / elevated general. Forms: grope; gropes; groped; groped; groping Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Commonness: moderately common. Third-person singular: gropes.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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