preening

[ pree-ning ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

the act of trimming or dressing the feathers, fur, etc., with the beak or tongue:
Examples of animals engaging in the same behavior at the same time include the gobbling of turkeys and the preening of birds.
the act of dressing oneself carefully or smartly, or making small adjustments to one’s clothing to appear trim and smart; primping:
I remember my grandma using that perfume—the scent, and the preening in front of the mirror that went with it.
the act of priding oneself on an achievement, personal quality, etc., especially in an obnoxious way:
All the posing and preening by these politicians is not going to help if the program ends up making food less affordable.

adjective

(of birds or animals) trimming or dressing the feathers, fur, etc., with the beak or tongue:
We got fabulous views of a preening pair of trumpeter swans on a large rock in the river.
dressing oneself carefully or smartly; primping:
He is a preening ladies' man and social climber.
priding oneself on an achievement, personal quality, etc., especially in an obnoxious way:
Once again you show yourself to be nothing but a preening pseudointellectual.

Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of preening¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; preen ¹( def ) + -ing ¹( def ) for the noun senses; preen ¹( def ) + -ing ²( def ) for the adjective senses

Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The magic of blasting down a wall of water balanced on a few pounds of Styrofoam doesn’t typically translate to the rectangular page; too many efforts feel pompous, ponderous or preening.

From

Saxon is the preening alpha male, vocally on the prowl for sex, telling his little brother that he needs to drink more protein shakes and man up.

From

It’s something the governor should have done a long time ago, rather than strutting and preening on the national stage.

From

Those were early signs, in retrospect, of the preening arrogance and moral cowardice that fueled an atmosphere of perennial social crisis in France and have left Macron almost universally despised and politically isolated.

From

The Dodger fans had once again let the taunting, preening Padres get under their skin.

From

preen gland preequalization

Browse