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
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
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
Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Flash forward to this year, and the groom's parents weren't as willing to open their wallets.
—Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2025
Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Farley has been at the helm of Ford, a job he was groomed for at the tender age of 5 by his grandfather, for 5 years now.
—Leah Olajide, Freep.com, 2 Oct. 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
As punishment, the bride and groom have to watch every snap of San Diego State’s 6-3 win over NIU last week, every Saturday for the rest of the year.
—Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Flash forward to this year, and the groom's parents weren't as willing to open their wallets.
—Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
Inflation and new tariffs are pushing prices up further in 2025, with veterinary fees increasing by 11 percent, pet cleaning supplies by 183 percent, grooming supplies by 20 percent, and treats and chews by 85 percent.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Farley has been at the helm of Ford, a job he was groomed for at the tender age of 5 by his grandfather, for 5 years now.
—Leah Olajide, Freep.com, 2 Oct. 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 6 Oct. 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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