feel out
Gauge through inquiry
To feel out is to cautiously explore or assess something—typically a situation, opinion, or person's receptiveness—before committing to action.
You might feel out a potential employer about salary expectations, or feel out the room before making a controversial suggestion.
The phrase suggests tentative probing rather than direct inquiry: I'm going to feel out my parents about borrowing the car.
- trial balloonPreliminary test of opinion
- probeThorough examination or tool
- searchAct of seeking
- askSeek an answer
- gaugeStandard of measurement
get a read on · inquire · survey · sniff around · test the waters · sense · intuit · discern · explore · grope · read · pick someone's brain · ascertain · assess · reconnoiter · question · evaluate · understand
- feeling outtest the waters, probe, gauge, trial balloon, read the room
- idiomstime flies, hit the sack, seize the day, ring a bell, break a leg
- Understanding Othersknow someone, see through, size up, empathize, put yourself in their shoes
- trial runstest, trial run, test run, dry run, tryout
feel outinterrogate
Question formally and persistently
confront · put on the spot · grill · cross-examine · lay it on the line