preening

[ pree-ning ]

noun

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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

1. (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.

2. dressing oneself carefully or smartly; primping:

   He is a preening ladies' man and social climber.

3. 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.

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

Example Sentences

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

From Los Angeles Times

And in the role of Cinderella’s Prince, he turned himself into “a preening fop” who understands full well that he’s meant to be charming, not sincere, as the character himself explains late in the musical.

From Los Angeles Times

Others, preening for the Apocalypse and the Rapture, choose the way of disinformation and corruption because it suits their needs.

From Salon

But in the 18th and 19th centuries, the automaton — an intricate mechanical device that could take the form of a preening silver swan or an organ-playing doll — was a popular source of entertainment and wonder.

From New York Times

The “Oppenheimer” crowd were hardly the hardest partiers at the Vanity Fair post- Oscars party on Sunday night, but they hardly needed to be, their hardware did all the preening for them.

From Seattle Times