Meanings
present singular third person feels out · participle present feeling out · participle past felt out · past felt out
- idiomaticTo attempt to ascertain a person's point of view, or the nature of a situation, by cautious and subtle means.
I think we should feel out your mom's thoughts about this before we decide anything.
1 more example
I feel out strangers that come in to make sure they know they're in a gay place and won't cause any trouble.
1976 February 7, Rose Flower, quoting Jimmy McGrath, “Playland: The Friendliest Place In Town”, in Gay Community News, volume 3, number 32, page 13
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo attempt to ascertain a person's point of view, or the nature of a situation, by cautious and subtle means.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Icelandic fara á fjörurnar við, leita hófanna hjá
- fara á fjörurnar viðto try to ascertain a point of view or the nature of something
- leita hófanna hjáto try to ascertain a point of view or the nature of something
Spanish tantear, semblantear
- tantearto try to ascertain a point of view or the nature of something
- semblantearto try to ascertain a point of view or the nature of something
Cite this entry
feel out. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/feel%20out
“feel out.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/feel%20out. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “feel out,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/feel%20out.
Source: feel out on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.