English Reference

Phrasal verb

feel out

Definition

phrasal verb. to try to find out what someone thinks or what a situation is like before you make a decision. You do this carefully to see if your idea will be successful.

phrasal verb. To investigate or explore a situation or person's opinion cautiously and indirectly before committing to a course of action. Transitive and often separable.

Examples

“I want to feel out the boss before I ask for a raise.”

“Before proposing the new project to the whole team, she decided to feel out her manager's opinion in private.”

“The diplomat spent several weeks feeling out the opposition's willingness to negotiate before any formal peace talks were officially announced.”

Examples

simple

“I want to feel out the boss before I ask for a raise.”

contextual

“Before proposing the new project to the whole team, she decided to feel out her manager's opinion in private.”

complex

“The diplomat spent several weeks feeling out the opposition's willingness to negotiate before any formal peace talks were officially announced.”

Usage

This verb is separable, meaning you can put the object between 'feel' and 'out'.

Teaching tip

Compare with the idiom 'test the waters'; 'feel out' is often used when the object is a person whose reaction you are trying to predict.

Pitfall

I need to feel out about the situation.

I need to feel out the situation.

The verb is transitive and takes the object directly without the preposition 'about'.

Phrasal verb

Particles

out

Separability

separable

Pattern

feel + out + object

Synonyms

test the waterssound outprobecheck

Antonyms

plunge inrush into

Grammar

Phrasal verbs (introduction)

This entry

Exam level
CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Updated

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