grope

Universal Words verb, noun verb 1 [V] ~ (around / for sth) to try and find sth that you cannot see, by feeling with your hands: I groped for the light switch. * He groped around in the dark for his other sock. * She groped for the railing to steady her as she fell. * (figurative) 'It's so..., so...' I was groping for the right word to describe it. 2 [+adv./prep.] to try and reach a place by feeling with your hands because you cannot see clearly: [VN] He groped his way up the staircase in the dark. * [V] She groped through the darkness towards the doors. 3 [VN] (informal) to touch sb sexually, especially when they do not want you to noun (informal) an act of groping sb (= touching them sexually)