groom
gb/ɡɹˈum/ us/ɡɹˈum/
B1
English
~ 7700
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B2
action
1
clean and care for hair or fur
To clean and brush hair or fur so it looks neat and nice.
Usage pattern:
to groom [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "groom" is only used for animals. It is also used for people, especially for careful cleaning and styling of hair and body. They may also confuse this sense with the wedding noun "groom"; remember that the verb is about cleaning and care, not about marriage.
Synonyms
brush (Focuses on using a brush, especially for hair or fur, without the wider idea of full body care.)
|
tidy up (More general and informal; can be used for appearance but also for rooms or objects, not just bodies or fur.)
Antonyms
neglect (Means to fail to care for something, the opposite of giving regular cleaning and care.)
Collocations
groom a dog
|groom a horse
|personal grooming
|well-groomed appearance
|grooming habits
|grooming routine
Themes
daily life
|appearance
|animals
|body
|daily_life
Examples
- She spends an hour every morning grooming her long hair.
- The owner carefully groomed the dog before the show.
- Zookeepers groom the horses daily to keep their coats shiny.
- He went to the bathroom to groom himself before the interview.
- This breed needs to be groomed regularly to prevent its fur from matting.
Learner examples
- She grooms her hair every morning.
- He grooms his dog once a week.
- The girl is grooming the horse with a brush.
- I need to groom myself before the party.
- They groom the cat to keep its fur clean.
Noun
B1
entity
2
man who is getting married
A man on his wedding day, or a man who will soon get married.
Usage pattern:
the groom
Common mistake:
Some learners confuse the noun "groom" with the verb "groom" (to clean and care for hair/fur). In wedding contexts, "groom" is only a noun; the verb is not related to marriage.
Synonyms
bridegroom (A slightly more formal or traditional word; "groom" is more common in modern speech.)
Collocations
bride and groom
|the groom-to-be
|handsome groom
|proud groom
|father of the groom
|the happy groom
Themes
family
|relationships
|events
|daily_life
Examples
- The groom waited nervously at the front of the church.
- The bride and groom thanked all their guests for coming.
- Everyone cheered as the groom kissed the bride.
- The groom-to-be looked excited at his bachelor party.
- Her brother was the best man for the groom.
Learner examples
- The groom is wearing a black suit.
- The bride and groom are very happy.
- The groom is standing next to the bride.
- They will meet the groom’s family after the wedding.
- Her friend is the groom in the photo.
Verb
C1
action
3
prepare someone for a role
To train and guide someone for a long time so they will be ready for an important job or role in the future.
Usage pattern:
to groom [someone] for [a role]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think this sense is physical care (like brushing hair) because of the basic meaning. In this sense, "groom" is about long-term training and preparation, often for a high-level position, not about physical appearance.
Synonyms
train (More general and common; does not always include the idea of long-term planning for a high-level role.)
|
prepare (Very general; can be used for many things, not just people and careers.)
Antonyms
overlook (To fail to notice or develop someone’s potential, the opposite of actively grooming them for advancement.)
Collocations
groom someone for leadership
|groom a successor
|groomed for success
|carefully groomed
|groom young talent
|groomed for the top job
Themes
work
|education
|politics
Examples
- She was groomed for leadership from a very young age.
- The company is grooming him to take over as CEO.
- Several young players are being groomed for the national team.
- Her mentor spent years grooming her for a senior role.
- He was clearly being groomed as the party’s future leader.
Learner examples
- The coach is grooming the boy for the national team.
- Her boss is grooming her for a manager job.
- They are grooming young students to become future leaders.
- The company groomed him to take over the business.
- His parents groomed him for a career in politics.
Verb
technical
C1
action
4
prepare a victim for sexual abuse
To slowly make a child or weak person trust you so that you can sexually hurt or use them later.
Usage pattern:
to groom [someone] (often a child) for [sexual abuse]
Common mistake:
Learners may not know this very specific, serious meaning and may confuse it with normal care of appearance. In crime or news contexts, "groom" almost always refers to this abusive behavior, not to brushing hair or training for a job.
Synonyms
manipulate (General word for controlling someone unfairly; does not always mean for sexual abuse, but often part of grooming.)
Antonyms
protect (To keep someone safe from harm or abuse, the opposite of grooming them for abuse.)
Collocations
online grooming
|child grooming
|groom vulnerable children
|groomed by an adult
|groom someone for abuse
|victims of grooming
Themes
crime
|society
|law
|relationships
|health
Examples
- The man was jailed for grooming children online.
- She later realized she had been groomed by an older relative.
- The report warned parents about the dangers of online grooming.
- He used social media to groom teenagers for sexual exploitation.
- New laws aim to punish adults who groom minors for abuse.
Learner examples
- The teacher went to prison for grooming a child.
- Police say the man groomed many children on the internet.
- Parents must protect their children from online grooming.
- He groomed the girl for months before the abuse.
- The law makes grooming children for sex a serious crime.
Noun
C1
entity
5
person who cares for horses
A person whose job is to take care of horses, giving them food, cleaning them, and looking after their things.
Usage pattern:
a groom; the groom at the stables
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this job meaning with the wedding meaning. In horse or farm contexts, a "groom" is a worker who cares for horses, not someone getting married.
Synonyms
stable hand (Very close in meaning; often used in the same contexts, but may suggest more general work around the stable, not only horse care.)
Collocations
stable groom
|head groom
|employ a groom
|professional groom
|horse groom
|racing stable groom
Themes
animals
|jobs
|work
Examples
- The groom led the horses out to the field.
- She worked as a groom at the racing stables.
- The head groom checked every horse before the race.
- They hired an extra groom for the busy summer season.
- As a groom, he starts work before sunrise every day.
Learner examples
- The groom cleans the horses every morning.
- Her brother is a groom at the farm.
- The groom takes the horse to the field.
- They hired a new groom for the stables.
- The groom gives food and water to the horses.
Verb
B2
action
6
make land or surface neat
To clean and fix a place or surface so it looks neat and ready to use.
Usage pattern:
to groom [a place/surface]
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize that "groom" can be used for land or surfaces, not just for people or animals. In these contexts, it still means making something neat and well cared for.
Synonyms
maintain (General word for keeping something in good condition; not as focused on appearance.)
|
tidy (Focuses on making something neat; not always about regular or professional care.)
Antonyms
neglect (To fail to care for a place or surface, leading to a messy or damaged state, opposite of grooming it.)
Collocations
groom the lawn
|groom the slopes
|freshly groomed trails
|groom the park
|groomed ski runs
|carefully groomed grounds
Themes
daily life
|environment
|sports
|daily_life
|housing
Examples
- Workers groomed the ski slopes overnight before the race.
- The groundskeepers groom the lawn every morning.
- The park is beautifully groomed with flowers and hedges.
- Volunteers help groom the trails each spring.
- The golf course is carefully groomed for the tournament.
Learner examples
- They groom the park every week.
- Workers groom the ski slopes at night.
- The garden is well groomed and very clean.
- Volunteers groom the path after winter.
- The hotel grooms the beach for guests.
Verb
technical
C2
action
7
clean and prepare data
To fix and organize data so it is clean and ready to use in a computer system or study.
Usage pattern:
to groom [data/information]
Common mistake:
Learners may not know this modern technical use and may wrongly assume physical grooming. In computer or data contexts, "groom" is about cleaning and organizing information, not people or animals.
Synonyms
cleanse (Technical term used in data management; focuses strongly on removing errors and duplicates.)
|
curate (Focuses on selecting and organizing data or content, sometimes with less focus on error removal.)
Antonyms
corrupt (To damage or spoil data, making it unreliable or unusable, the opposite of grooming it.)
Collocations
groom the data
|data grooming
|groom customer records
|groomed dataset
|grooming user information
Themes
technology
|business
|science
Examples
- Analysts spent weeks grooming the data before running the models.
- We need to groom these customer records to remove duplicates.
- The team is responsible for grooming and validating the dataset.
- Properly groomed data leads to more reliable results.
- Before migration, all legacy data must be groomed and standardized.
Learner examples
- The IT team grooms the data before the report.
- They groom customer data to remove mistakes.
- You must groom the data before you use it.
- The company grooms its database every month.
- We groom the information so it is clean and clear.
Grammar
Dictionary form
groom
IPA
GB/ɡɹˈum/
US/ɡɹˈum/
Syllables & stress
groom (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (groom)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: groom
- Plural: grooms
Verb
- Base: groom
- 3rd Person Singular: grooms
- Present Participle: grooming
- Past: groomed
Word family
Forms
grooms
noun
grooming
verb
groomed
verb
Core family
groomer
noun
Expressions
groom-to-be
1/ɡɹˈum tə bˈi/
fixed phrase
man who will get married soon
A man who is engaged and will get married soon.
Examples
- The groom-to-be looked nervous at the engagement party.
- Friends threw a surprise party for the groom-to-be.
- They bought a gift for the groom-to-be and his fiancée.
online grooming
1/ˈɔnlˌaɪn ɡɹˈumɪŋ/
fixed phrase
technical
grooming for abuse via internet
Using the internet to slowly make a child or weak person trust you so you can sexually hurt or use them later.
Examples
- The new law aims to reduce online grooming of children.
- Parents were warned about online grooming in the safety workshop.
- Police are investigating several cases of online grooming through social media.
well-groomed
1/wˈɛl ɡɹˈumd/
fixed phrase
having a neat, cared-for look
Looking very clean, tidy, and carefully cared for, especially in hair, clothes, and general appearance.
Examples
- He was well-groomed and smartly dressed for the interview.
- A well-groomed appearance can make a strong first impression.
- The dog came back from the salon well-groomed and smelling fresh.
bride and groom
1/bɹˈaɪd ˈænd ɡɹˈum/
fixed phrase
the couple getting married
The woman and the man who are getting married to each other at a wedding.
Examples
- The photographer asked the bride and groom to stand by the window.
- The guests stood as the bride and groom entered the hall.
- The guests cheered when the bride and groom entered the reception hall.
- They reserved a special table for the bride and groom.
- Everyone took photos of the bride and groom after the ceremony.