feel out

feel out
verb
try to learn someone's opinions and intentions
-

I have to sound out the new professor

Syn: ↑check out, ↑sound out
Hypernyms: ↑question, ↑query
Verb Frames:
-

Somebody ——s somebody

* * *

transitive verb
1. : to sound out the sentiments of

felt out the neighbors on the subject of local political reform

— compare feel vt 3b
2. : to test the validity or practicability of by cautious investigation, trial, or application

feel out a new idea by submitting it to a group of colleagues

* * *

ˌfeel ˈout [transitive] [present tense I/you/we/they feel out he/she/it feels out present participle feeling out past tense felt out past participle felt out] informal phrasal verb
to try to discover in a careful or indirect way what a situation is like or what someone’s attitude is
Thesaurus: to try to find out informationsynonym
Main entry: feel

* * *

feel out [phrasal verb]
feel (someone) out : to talk to or question (someone) in an indirect way in order to find out if something you want to do or get will be possible

He tried to feel us out to see if we'd loan him more money.

• • •
Main Entry:feel

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • feel out — feel (someone) out to try to find out someone s opinions or thoughts without being obvious. Why don t you feel them out to see if they ll invite me too? I need time to feel out the boss before asking for more money …   New idioms dictionary

  • feel out — index peruse Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • feel out — phrasal verb [transitive] Word forms feel out : present tense I/you/we/they feel out he/she/it feels out present participle feeling out past tense felt out past participle felt out informal to try to discover in a careful or indirect way what a… …   English dictionary

  • feel out — verb to cautiously try to ascertain a persons point of view or the nature of a situation by subtle means I think we should feel out your moms thoughts about this before we decide anything. Syn: sound out, check out …   Wiktionary

  • feel out — talk or act carefully with someone and find out what he thinks I will try and feel out my boss this weekend and see what he thinks of my chance of promotion …   Idioms and examples

  • feel out — (Roget s Thesaurus II) I verb To test the attitude of: probe, sound3 (out). Idioms: put out feelers, send up a trial balloon. See INVESTIGATE. II verb See feel …   English dictionary for students

  • feel out — {v.} To talk or act carefully with someone and find what he thinks or can do. * /The pupils felt out the principal about a party after the game./ * /John felt out his father about letting him have the car that evening./ * /At first the boxers… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • feel out — {v.} To talk or act carefully with someone and find what he thinks or can do. * /The pupils felt out the principal about a party after the game./ * /John felt out his father about letting him have the car that evening./ * /At first the boxers… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • feel\ out — v To talk or act carefully with someone and find what he thinks or can do. The pupils felt out the principal about a party after the game. John felt out his father about letting him have the car that evening. At first the boxers felt each other… …   Словарь американских идиом

  • feel out of place — {v. phr.} To experience the sensation of not belonging in a certain place or company. * /Dave felt out of place among all those chess players as he knows nothing about chess./ …   Dictionary of American idioms

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