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
Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 11 Dec. 2025
The venue hosts weddings, concerts, receptions, and community events for up to 300 guests, with dedicated bride and groom suites.
—Lauren Jones, Southern Living, 4 Dec. 2025
Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 12 Dec. 2025
According to an arrest warrant, a pattern of grooming and inappropriate contact followed.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for groom
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
At the celebration, the bride and groom wore jewelry from a Key West shipwreck.
—Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 11 Dec. 2025
The venue hosts weddings, concerts, receptions, and community events for up to 300 guests, with dedicated bride and groom suites.
—Lauren Jones, Southern Living, 4 Dec. 2025
Verb
The grooming gang scandal casts a long shadow over Britain’s immigration debate and has fueled public anger over the use by successive governments of hotels to house asylum seekers.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 12 Dec. 2025
According to an arrest warrant, a pattern of grooming and inappropriate contact followed.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for groom
Cite this Entry
“Groom.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/groom. Accessed 15 Dec. 2025.
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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