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
Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
The soon-to-be bride and groom were among the last to arrive, and security created a cordon around the couple to shield them from onlookers.
—Rachel Raposas, People.com, 26 June 2025
Luli Ortiz, Sun Sentinel, 25 June 2025
The whales break off the ends of bull kelp stalks and use them to groom each other.
—Stephanie Edwards, Discover Magazine, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for groom
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Noun
The entire wedding party, including parents of the bride and groom, wore fashions supplied by JCPenney, including a $99 wedding gown and the groom’s tuxedo, which Thalberg confesses cost a bit more.
—Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
The soon-to-be bride and groom were among the last to arrive, and security created a cordon around the couple to shield them from onlookers.
—Rachel Raposas, People.com, 26 June 2025
Verb
The suit alleges that Conti groomed and assaulted the student while employed at the school, and that administrators ignored red flags, failed to provide proper supervision, and allowed inappropriate conduct to persist during school hours.
—Luli Ortiz, Sun Sentinel, 25 June 2025
The whales break off the ends of bull kelp stalks and use them to groom each other.
—Stephanie Edwards, Discover Magazine, 24 June 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 Jul. 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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