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Meaning & use

groove

noun, verb·Academic

Last updated

UK/ɡruːv/
US/ɡruːv/

Meanings

  1. nouncountable

    A long narrow line cut into a surface, often so that something can fit or slide in it.

    Grammar: Has a plural: grooves in a record.

    Patterns

    • a groove in something

    The shelf slides into a groove in the side panel.

    Water ran along a groove in the stone.

    The old record had a scratch across its grooves.

  2. nouncountable or uncountablemusic

    A steady, catchy rhythm in music that makes people want to move.

    Grammar: Often used with a: the band found a groove.

    Patterns

    • get into the groove
    • lock into a groove

    The bassist laid down a deep groove.

    The drummer and the bassist locked into a groove.

    This song has a groove you can't sit still to.

  3. nounsingularinformal

    A comfortable steady routine, sometimes one that has become dull.

    Grammar: Usually with in: stuck in a groove.

    Patterns

    • in a groove
    • get into a groove

    After two weeks I finally got into a groove at the new job.

    He's been in a groove all season and keeps scoring.

    We were stuck in a groove of work, sleep and repeat.

  4. verbtransitive

    To cut a long narrow channel in something.

    Grammar: Takes an object: groove the board.

    Patterns

    • groove something

    The carpenter grooved the plank to hold the glass.

    Years of wheels had grooved the stone.

Word forms

pluralgrooves
third person singulargrooves
past tensegrooved
past participlegrooved
-ing formgrooving

Common combinations

find a groove
The team finally found its groove in the second half.
get into the groove
It took her a month to get into the groove.
a deep groove
The cart wheels left a deep groove in the mud.
in the groove
The pianist was in the groove all night.
lay down a groove
The band laid down a funky groove.
a groove in the wood
Cut a groove in the wood for the cable.

Synonyms and how they differ

channel
A channel is a bigger path, often for liquid, while a groove is narrower and cut into one surface.
rut
Rut has a negative sense of boring routine and is not used for music, whereas groove can be positive.
rhythm
Rhythm is a broad term for any pattern of beats, while groove means a rhythm that feels relaxed and catchy.
furrow
Furrow is usually a trench made by a plow or a wrinkle in the forehead, not a cut in manufactured goods.

Opposites

ridge

Word family

grooved adjective
having a groove or grooves cut in it
groovy adjective
informal, old-fashioned word for fashionable or excellent
grooving noun
the act of cutting grooves, or a set of grooves

Commonly confused: groove or rut?

groove vs rut

A rut is a worn track that is hard to leave, and in a figurative sense is a dull habit, while a groove can also be a good, comfortable flow.

Practice

After a slow start, the team finally found its ___ and won five games in a row.

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