手 探(てさぐ)り

てさぐり

noun

groping, fumbling, trial and error

1. groping, feeling one's way

Physically reaching out and touching to find something in the dark or without being able to see.

暗闇(くらやみ)の中(なか)を手探(てさぐ)りで進(すす)んだ。

I felt my way forward in the dark.

手探(てさぐ)りでスイッチを探(さが)した。

I groped around for the switch.

停電(ていでん)で真(ま)っ暗(くら)になり、手探(てさぐ)りで懐中電灯(かいちゅうでんとう)を見(み)つけた。

When it went pitch dark from the power outage, I found the flashlight by groping around.

2. trial and error, fumbling, feeling one's way

Proceeding cautiously without a clear plan, figuring things out as you go.

手探(てさぐ)りの状態(じょうたい)だ。

We're in a state of trial and error.

手探(てさぐ)りで新(あたら)しいビジネスを始(はじ)めた。

I started a new business through trial and error.

前例(ぜんれい)がないプロジェクトなので、手探(てさぐ)りで進(すす)めるしかない。

Since there's no precedent for this project, we have no choice but to feel our way through it.

KANJI:
手(て) (hand) + 探(さぐ)り (searching). Literally "searching by hand."

USAGE:
Often used adverbially with で: 手探(てさぐ)りで (by groping / through trial and error). The figurative sense (sense 2) is very common in business and project management contexts to describe proceeding without a clear roadmap.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

手探(てさぐ)りで進(すす)む: to proceed by trial and error
手探(てさぐ)りの状態(じょうたい): a state of trial and error
手探(てさぐ)りで探(さが)す: to search by groping

general

Added 2026.2.8 13:52

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