1
grope for sth
强调用手盲目或不确定地寻找。
She groped for her glasses on the bedside table.
她在床头柜上摸索着找眼镜。
摸索
先理解核心含义，再看它在真实句子里的用法。
摸索
feel or search around blindly with the hands
She groped for her glasses on the bedside table.
她在床头柜上摸索着找眼镜。
在黑暗中或像盲人一样通过触摸搜索或试图找到某物；在黑暗或模糊中犹豫地移动；当看不见时用手摸索前进。
To search or attempt to find something in the dark, or, as a blind person, by feeling; to move about hesitatingly, as in darkness or obscurity; to feel one's way, as with the hands, when one can not see.
To touch (another person) closely and (especially) sexually.
To intentionally and inappropriately touch or rub against another person, in such a manner as to make the contact appear accidental, for the purpose of one's sexual gratification.
grope
Base
原形
gropes
3rd person
第三人称单数
groping
-ing
现在分词
groped
Past
过去式
groped
Past participle
过去分词
She gropes for the light switch in the dark.
她在黑暗中摸索电灯开关。
He groped around in his bag for the keys.
他在包里摸索找钥匙。
I have groped for the right words all day.
我一整天都在摸索合适的措辞。
规则动词，过去式和过去分词均为 groped；常与 for、around 搭配。
In the dark room, I had to grope for the light switch.
在黑暗的房间里，我不得不摸索着找电灯开关。
She groped in her bag for her keys.
她在包里摸索着找钥匙。
He groped along the wall to find the door.
他沿着墙摸索着找门。
强调用手盲目或不确定地寻找。
She groped for her glasses on the bedside table.
她在床头柜上摸索着找眼镜。
表示在黑暗中或看不清时靠触觉前进。
The power went out, and we had to grope our way down the stairs.
停电了，我们不得不摸索着走下楼梯。
该用法指性骚扰，属于严重不当行为；使用时需注意语境。
He was fired for groping a coworker at the office party.
他因在办公室聚会上猥亵同事而被解雇。
此用法多见于英国口语，grope 作名词，意为“摸索”。
I had a quick grope around in the drawer for some batteries.
我在抽屉里快速摸索着找几节电池。
Not this
He groped his keys in his pocket.
Use this
He groped for his keys in his pocket.
表示“摸索寻找某物”时，grope 是不及物动词，需接介词 for 再加寻找的对象，不能直接说 grope + 物体。
Not this
He groped at her on the crowded train.
Use this
He groped her on the crowded train.
表示“猥亵、动手动脚”时，grope 是及物动词，直接接人作宾语，不能像“摸索”义那样加介词 at。
Focus on the distinctions below. Other candidates are kept compact until a reliable usage note is available.
摸索寻找；搜寻
He groped for the light switch on the wall.
他在墙上摸索着找电灯开关。
四处摸索；翻找
She groped around in her bag for her phone.
她在包里翻来翻去地摸手机。
摸索着前进；摸黑走
We groped our way along the dark corridor.
我们摸黑沿着走廊往前走。
苦苦寻找合适的词语
He groped for words to comfort her.
他苦苦寻找合适的词语来安慰她。
在黑暗中摸索
The power cut left us groping in the dark.
停电让我们只能在黑暗中摸索。
猥亵某人；对某人动手动脚
The man was arrested for groping a stranger on the train.
那名男子因在火车上猥亵一名陌生人而被捕。
在黑暗中摸索（比喻对未知情况毫无头绪地探索）
Without the data, the researchers were groping in the dark.
没有数据，研究人员如同在黑暗中摸索。
搜索枯肠，费力寻找合适的词语
She groped for words to express her sorrow.
她搜索枯肠，想找到合适的词语来表达悲伤。
摸索前行（在困难或不明朗的情况下小心前进）
He groped his way through the dark basement.
他摸索着穿过黑暗的地下室。
我们像盲人一样摸索墙壁，像瞎了眼一样摸索。
In the Bible, Isaiah 59:10 says, "We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes."
《圣经》以赛亚书59章10节写道：“我们像盲人一样摸索墙壁，像瞎了眼一样摸索。”
Use grope naturally, then get feedback on meaning, tone, grammar, and phrasing.
Revisit a common error or keep this word in your review list.
联想：grope 里藏着 rope（绳子），夜里摸绳探路→摸索；对人乱摸就是猥亵。
语域：neutral 常见场景：in the dark、in a bag or pocket “grope”表示摸索时是中性词，多用于描述在黑暗或看不到的情况下用手寻找东西，日常口语和书面语都能用。
这些词都与 grope 同韵，均以 /əup/ 结尾，且拼写中都含有 -ope。注意形近但不同音的词：gripe /ɡraɪp/（抱怨）、grove /ɡrəʊv/（小树林）、group /ɡruːp/（群）并不与 grope 押韵。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.