Standard Lemma guide

groomsman

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A man who serves as one of a number of attendants to a bridegroom at a wedding, one of whom is the best man.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • 1888, Horatio Alger, The Errand Boy, Chapter XIV: Consulting the Oracle, "Philip," said Mr. Wilbur, "when I marry, I want you to stand up with me--to be my groomsman."

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a male attendant of the bridegroom at a wedding

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: attendant, attender, tender

Narrower terms: best man

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English groom English -s- Proto-Indo-European *mon- Proto-Germanic *mann- Proto-West Germanic *mann Old English mann Middle English man English man English groomsman From groom + -s- + man.

Across languages

Translations

20 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: strooijonker — attendant to a bridegroom
  • Bulgarian: шафер (šafer) — attendant to a bridegroom
  • Erzya: уредев (uredev) — attendant to a bridegroom
  • Esperanto: fianĉamiko — attendant to a bridegroom
  • Finnish: sulhaspoika — attendant to a bridegroom
  • Hungarian: vőfély — attendant to a bridegroom
  • Irish: vaidhtéaraí — attendant to a bridegroom
  • Irish: finné fir — attendant to a bridegroom
  • Irish: fear tionlacain — attendant to a bridegroom
  • Irish: fear tionlacain bainise — attendant to a bridegroom
  • Irish: vaidhtéir — attendant to a bridegroom
  • Italian: paraninfo — attendant to a bridegroom
  • Korean: 들러리 (deulleori) — attendant to a bridegroom
  • Macedonian: по́братим (póbratim) — attendant to a bridegroom
  • Manx: fer banshey — attendant to a bridegroom
  • Polish: drużba — attendant to a bridegroom
  • Russian: ша́фер (šáfer) — attendant to a bridegroom
  • Scottish Gaelic: fear-cuideachd — attendant to a bridegroom
  • Spanish: padrino — attendant to a bridegroom
  • Vietnamese: phù rể — attendant to a bridegroom