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
Lauren Jones, Southern Living, 4 Dec. 2025
The wedding still went on as planned, as the groom's father — a doctor who was among those who helped resuscitate Barb — kept the near-drowning incident a secret until after the couple's honeymoon.
—Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 1 Dec. 2025
FOXNews.com, 5 Dec. 2025
Interspersed throughout the main storyline, sequences depict how Trent Ikithon (Mark Strong) recruited the promising fire mage to join his magic academy, submit to painful experimentations to enhance his power, and eventually groomed him to become a Volstrucker assassin to hunt down dissidents.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for groom
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
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
The wedding still went on as planned, as the groom's father — a doctor who was among those who helped resuscitate Barb — kept the near-drowning incident a secret until after the couple's honeymoon.
—Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 1 Dec. 2025
Verb
Continue reading … ON TRIAL – Teacher allegedly groomed teen for years before backseat Jeep encounters.
—FOXNews.com, 5 Dec. 2025
Interspersed throughout the main storyline, sequences depict how Trent Ikithon (Mark Strong) recruited the promising fire mage to join his magic academy, submit to painful experimentations to enhance his power, and eventually groomed him to become a Volstrucker assassin to hunt down dissidents.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 3 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 8 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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