grope

1 of 4

verb

ˈgrōp 

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

: to touch (someone) in an unwanted and unexpected sexual way

2

: to find (one's way) by groping

groper noun

grope

2 of 4

noun (1)

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

groper

3 of 4

noun (2)

grop·​er

-pə(r)

plural -s

: one that gropes

groper

4 of 4

noun (3)

gro·​per

"

plural -s

1

: one of several groupers: such as

a

: giant grouper sense a

b

: a food fish (Polyprion oxygeneios) of southern seas

2

: a large Australian and Tasmanian labrid food fish (Achoerodus gouldii) having two well-marked color phases of purplish blue and red

Synonyms of grope

Verb

• fumble
• look
• reach

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

Verb

Men gathered at village auctions to grope and prod Black people; the shapes of their muscles and strength of their teeth determined their value, babies included. — Literary Hub, 16 June 2026

In a 55-page complaint, the singer alleged the music mogul had groped her on numerous occasions, once trapped her inside a locked car for two hours as a form of punishment, and threatened her life. — Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 15 June 2026

Noun

Cars, motor-scooters and bicycles roar away from the curbs, and another week of the great apartment grope has begun. — Nicholas Pileggi, Curbed, 15 Aug. 2025

Deputy gropes grocery store worker during ride home In August 2019, Clark responded to a Rosamond grocery store parking lot about a fight, prosecutors said. — Daniella Segura, Sacbee.com, 6 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun (2)

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

Noun (3)

modification of Portuguese garoupa

First Known Use

Verb

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

Noun (1)

circa 1513, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing grope

• grope one's way

Rhymes for grope

• cope
• dope
• lope
• mope
• nope
• rope
• scope
• shope
• slope
• soap
• stope
• swope

Kids Definition

grope

verb

ˈgrōp 

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