SINCE 1828

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

well-groomed

play

adjective \ ˈwel-ˈgrümd , -ˈgru̇md \

Definition of well-groomed

1 :well-dressed and scrupulously neat

well-groomed men

2 :made neat, tidy, and attractive down to the smallest details

a well-groomed lawn

See well-groomed defined for English-language learners

First Known Use of well-groomed

1865

well-groomed Synonyms

Synonyms

antiseptic, bandbox, crisp, groomed, kempt, orderly, picked up, prim, shipshape, smug, snug, tidied, tidy, trig, trim, uncluttered, well-groomed

Antonyms

disheveled (or dishevelled), disordered, disorderly, messy, mussed, mussy, sloven, slovenly, unkempt, untidy

Related Words

dapper, natty, saucy, smart, spiffy, spruce; immaculate, spick-and-span (or spic-and-span), spotless; rakish, sleek, streamlined, taut; organized, straight, systematic

Near Antonyms

scruffy, seedy, shabby, slipshod, sloppy; dirty, filthy, foul, nasty, sordid, squalid; dowdy, frowsy (or frowzy), rumpled, tousled, tumbled; disorganized, unsystematic

WELL-GROOMED Defined for English Language Learners

well-groomed

play

adjective

Definition of well-groomed for English Language Learners

of people : having a clean, neat appearance
of things : made very neat, tidy, and attractive

Learn More about well-groomed

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for well-groomed

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up well-groomed? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

WORD OF THE DAY

yeasty

play

of yeast or being unsettled or frivolous

BROWSE DICTIONARY

well-founded

well grass

well-groomed

well-grounded

well-grown

Test Your Vocabulary

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Which of the following is a new sense of the word bunny?

How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

TAKE THE QUIZ

SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Words at Play

alt-59c4207ecf106

Let's Talk 'Tea'

Spill it, sip it: just make it hot.

8 Words and Phrases from Boxing and Wrestling

Common terms that come from boxing and wrestling

alt-59c2960017c94

The Ambiguity of Pushing 'Up' and 'Back'

When you push a meeting, where does it go?

Silent Letters

When each letter can be seen but not heard

Ask the Editors

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066

Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Don't get us started on 'bimonthly'

video-irregardless-grammar-peeve-blend-of-the-synonyms-irrespective-and-regardless

Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

video-moose-goose-weird-plurals

Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

Word Games

young-plant-shoots

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

You're going to have to memorize the dictionary again.

Take the quiz

stylized-drawing-of-woman-pole-vaulting-across-gap-to-get-trophy

Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

No tricks, just difficult words.

Take the quiz

How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

Take the quiz

SCRABBLE® Sprint

SCRABBLE® Sprint

SCRABBLE® fans, sharpen your skills!

Play the game