fondle vs grope

fondle is not a noun while grope is a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
fondle	No	No	Yes	No
grope	Yes	No	Yes	No

As verbs, grope is a hyponym of fondle; that is, grope is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than fondle:

Other hyponyms of fondle include paw, dandle, pet, chuck, pat, nose, nuzzle, pet, tickle.

fondle (noun)	grope (noun)
	the act of groping; and instance of groping

fondle (verb)	grope (verb)
touch or stroke lightly in a loving or endearing manner	feel about uncertainly or blindly
	fondle for sexual pleasure
	search blindly or uncertainly