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
La Rédaction De Vanity Fair, Vanity Fair, 24 May 2026
Katie’s Kennel even offers options for wedding day services, like transporting pups to and from the wedding venue to ensure the bride and groom can spend the day with their favorite pets.
—Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 23 May 2026
Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 28 May 2026
In the wake of the Epstein files, watching strangers who have been accused of pedophilia or child grooming implode for mass consumption is still hugely popular.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for groom
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Noun
The groom's very famous father did not attend either event, the president admitted via Truth Social.
—La Rédaction De Vanity Fair, Vanity Fair, 24 May 2026
Katie’s Kennel even offers options for wedding day services, like transporting pups to and from the wedding venue to ensure the bride and groom can spend the day with their favorite pets.
—Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 23 May 2026
Verb
The siblings had been brainwashed, abused and groomed while growing up in a cult led by Bernie Hoffman, an apocalyptic preacher and false prophet known to the world as Tony Alamo.
—Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 28 May 2026
In the wake of the Epstein files, watching strangers who have been accused of pedophilia or child grooming implode for mass consumption is still hugely popular.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 27 May 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 1 Jun. 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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