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"Grope" is an intransitive verb which is often translated as "andar a tientas", and "fumble" is an intransitive verb which is often translated as "hurgar". Learn more about the difference between "grope" and "fumble" below.
grope(
grop
)An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g., The man sneezed.).
a. andar a tientas
In this game, the blindfolded person has to grope around the room trying to find the others.En este juego, la persona con los ojos vendados tiene que andar a tientas por la habitación buscando a los demás.
b. tantear
He was groping with his feet, trying to get a foothold.Tanteaba con los pies, intentando encontrar un punto de apoyo.
a. buscar a tientas
I got out of bed, groping for the light switch.Me levanté y busqué el interruptor a tientas.
3. (figurative) (to search for; used with "for")
A phrase used as a figure of speech or a word that is symbolic in meaning; metaphorical (e.g., carrot, bean).
a. esforzarse por encontrar
She was groping for words to describe the horrors she had witnessed.Se esforzaba por encontrar palabras que pudieran describir los horrores que había presenciado.
4. (figurative) (to struggle)
A phrase used as a figure of speech or a word that is symbolic in meaning; metaphorical (e.g., carrot, bean).
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
I was groping in the dark, trying to discover why I felt the way I did.Yo daba palos de ciego, intentando de descubrir por qué me sentía así.
We are still groping to understand what this decision will mean for us.Seguimos en la oscuridad, tratando de comprender las consecuencias que esta decisión tendrá para nosotros.
A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
5. (colloquial) (to fondle)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
a. manosear (pejorative)
An offensive word or phrase used to degrade a person or group of people based on race, gender, sexual preference, etc. (e.g., redneck).
There's an old lech in the office who gropes all the women.Hay un viejo verde en la oficina que manosea a todas las mujeres.
b. meter mano a (colloquial) (pejorative)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
An offensive word or phrase used to degrade a person or group of people based on race, gender, sexual preference, etc. (e.g., redneck).
I hate it when someone tries to grope me on the subway.Odio que alguien intente meterme mano en el metro.
c. toquetear (colloquial) (pejorative)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
An offensive word or phrase used to degrade a person or group of people based on race, gender, sexual preference, etc. (e.g., redneck).
A drunken man at the party tried to grope her.En la fiesta, un hombre borracho intentó toquetearla.
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
I groped my way back to the tent in the dark.Volví a la tienda a tientas en la oscuridad.
Sam groped his way along the ledge, refusing to look down.Sam avanzó a tientas por la cornisa, resistiéndose a mirar hacia abajo.
A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling, or idea (e.g., man, dog, house).
7. (colloquial) (act of fondling)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
a. el toqueteo (M)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
Apart from the odd grope at a party, he didn't have any experience with women.Aparte de algún toqueteo que otro en una fiesta, no tenía ninguna experiencia con las mujeres.
b. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
John's parents returned home and caught them having a grope on the sofa.Los padres de John volvieron a casa y los pillaron metiéndose mano en el sofá.
We used to take advantage of the darkness in the movie theater to have a grope.Aprovechábamos la oscuridad del cine para toquetearnos.
fumble(
fuhm
-
buhl
)An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g., The man sneezed.).
1. (to rummage)
a. hurgar
He fumbled in his jacket pocket and produced a key.Hurgó en el bolsillo de su saco y extrajo una llave.
a. buscar a tientas
I put my hand out in the dark, fumbling for the matches.Extendí la mano en la oscuridad, buscando a tientas los fósforos.
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
She was fumbling with her seat belt and couldn't get it to fasten.Trataba torpemente de abrocharse el cinturón y no conseguía hacerlo.
Stop fumbling with the remote control and give it to me!¡Deja de manosear el control remoto y dámelo a mí!
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
Lucy was fumbling for an excuse not to join her coworkers for dinner.Lucy intentaba dar una excusa para no ir a cenar con sus colegas.
When asked to explain himself, the schoolboy fumbled helplessly for words.Cuando se le pidió una explicación, el niño titubeó, tratando en vano de encontrarla.
A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
a. dejar caer
Smith fumbled the ball before throwing home.Smith dejó caer la bola antes de lanzar al home.
b. escaparse
Richards fumbled a pass, allowing Hellmann a shot at goal.A Richards se le escapó un pase, lo que permitió a Hellmann tirar al arco.
A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling, or idea (e.g., man, dog, house).
