To preen means to groom yourself carefully and proudly, often spending extra time on your appearance. Birds preen by running their beaks through their feathers, smoothing and cleaning them until everything looks perfect. You might preen before school photo day, checking your hair in the mirror multiple times and adjusting your collar just right.

The word often suggests someone is quite pleased with themselves while doing this grooming. A peacock spreading its magnificent tail feathers and strutting around is the classic image of preening. When someone preens, they're getting ready while admiring themselves a bit, making sure everyone will notice how good they look.

People also use preen to describe showing off accomplishments or soaking up praise. A student might preen after winning the spelling bee, standing a little taller and smiling broadly while classmates congratulate them. There's nothing wrong with feeling proud of real achievements, though preening suggests you're enjoying the attention quite a lot and want to make sure everyone notices.