Touch with clumsy insistence
To paw at something is to touch or handle it clumsily or repeatedly with the hands, like an animal using its paws: The toddler pawed at the wrapping paper.
When directed at a person, it suggests unwanted groping or clumsy sexual advances: He kept pawing at her until she moved away.
The phrase implies persistence and lack of finesse.
IDEA.org / Words / paw at
Touch with clumsy insistence
To paw at something is to touch or handle it clumsily or repeatedly with the hands, like an animal using its paws: The toddler pawed at the wrapping paper.
When directed at a person, it suggests unwanted groping or clumsy sexual advances: He kept pawing at her until she moved away.
The phrase implies persistence and lack of finesse.
Related — grope (Feel about blindly); feel up (Sexually touch someone); claw (Curved animal nail); claw at · grab · grab at · reach for · prod · scratch · touch · scrape · fumble · nudge
TOUCH QUALITYpaw at ≠ caress Gentle loving touch; handle with care · graze · skim · feather · tickle
PHYSICAL ENGAGEMENTpaw at ≠ leave alone Refrain from disturbing; let go of · release · hands off · relinquish · drop
paw, paws, pawed, pawing
Word data: Linguabase (CC0) · www.idea.org/words/paw_at