groom-to-be

English

Etymology

From groom +‎ -to-be.

Noun

groom-to-be (plural grooms-to-be)

1. A man who is soon to be married.

   Coordinate term: bride-to-be

   • 1875 July 2, “Napoleon V. He Retreats from Stamford,^[sic] Ky., and Surrenders in Cincinnati.”, in W[illiam] P[ulaski] Walton, editor, The Interior Journal, volume IV, number 18 (173 overall), Stanford, Ky., →ISSN, →OCLC, page [2], column 2:

     The bride-elect came over from the depot by one route and the groom-to-be by another.

   • 2012 March, Mary Bergstrom, “Tipping Gender Scales: From Boys Rule to Girl Power About Face”, in All Eyes East: Lessons from the Front Lines of Marketing to China’s Youth, New York, N.Y.: Palgrave Macmillan, →ISBN, page 77:

     The actual brides- and grooms-to-be are not in attendance—many youth would be embarrassed by their parents’ matchmaking efforts, and often do not live in the same city anyway.

   • 2017, “Meet the other Amish men in The Men of Lancaster County series”, in Virginia Smith, The Amish Widower (The Men of Lancaster County; 4), Eugene, Ore.: Harvest House Publishers, →ISBN, page [319]:

     Tyler Anderson / A groom-to-be who has to make a decision between two very different women.