1
2
a
: a person responsible for the feeding, exercising, and stabling of horses
b(1)
archaic
: manservant
(2)
: one of several officers of the English royal household
groomed; grooming; grooms
1
: to clean and maintain the appearance of (an animal)
especially
: to maintain the health and condition of the coat of (a horse, dog, etc.) by brushing, combing, currying, or similar attention
2
: to make neat or attractive
an impeccably groomed person
spent hours grooming the lawn
3
a
: to make (someone) ready for a specific objective : prepare
was being groomed as a presidential candidate
b
: to build a trusting relationship with (a minor) in order to exploit them especially for nonconsensual sexual activity
: to groom oneself
grooming in front of the mirror
Examples of groom in a Sentence
Verb
The horses are being groomed for the competition.
She spent hours grooming herself.
She always seems to be perfectly groomed and neatly dressed.
He is being groomed to take over the company.
Recent Examples on the Web
Stephanie Bridger-Linning, Vanity Fair, 2 Apr. 2026
Given Joe’s career as a personal trainer and that the couple actually happened to meet at the gym, the groom wanted to arrange a workout the morning of the wedding.
—Kaitlin Menza, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Apr. 2026
Charlotte Observer, 28 Mar. 2026
Predictable routines like feeding, grooming or play provide stability during demanding times and help maintain emotional steadiness.
—CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for groom
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show current usage.
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Noun
The guest list has not been revealed but the groom’s parents, the Princess Royal and Captain Mark Phillips, are expected to be in attendance, as are his sister and brother-in-law, Mike and Zara Tindall.
—Stephanie Bridger-Linning, Vanity Fair, 2 Apr. 2026
Given Joe’s career as a personal trainer and that the couple actually happened to meet at the gym, the groom wanted to arrange a workout the morning of the wedding.
—Kaitlin Menza, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
She was convicted in 2021 of recruiting and grooming girls.
—Charlotte Observer, 28 Mar. 2026
Predictable routines like feeding, grooming or play provide stability during demanding times and help maintain emotional steadiness.
—CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for groom
Cite this Entry
“Groom.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/groom. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
1
a
archaic
: a male servant
b
: a person in charge of horses
2
groom
2 of 2 verb1
: to clean and keep up the appearance of (as the coat of a horse or dog)
2
: to make neat, attractive, or acceptable
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