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gregarious

adjective
greĀ·​garĀ·​iĀ·​ous | \ gri-Ėˆger-ē-əs How to pronounce gregarious (audio) \

Definition of gregarious

1a : tending to associate with others of one's kind : social gregarious animals
b : marked by or indicating a liking for companionship : sociable is friendly, outgoing, and gregarious
c : of or relating to a social group
2a of a plant : growing in a cluster or a colony
b : living in contiguous nests but not forming a true colony —used especially of wasps and bees
Other Words from gregarious Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about gregarious

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Other Words from gregarious

gregariously adverb
gregariousness noun

Did You Know?

When you're one of the herd, it's tough to avoid being social. The etymology of gregarious reflects the social nature of the flock; in fact, the word grew out of the Latin noun grex, meaning "herd" or "flock." When it first began appearing in English texts in the 17th century, "gregarious" was applied mainly to animals, but by the 18th century it was being used for social human beings as well. By the way, "grex" gave English a whole flock of other words too, including "egregious," "aggregate," "congregate," and "segregate."

Examples of gregarious in a Sentence

[J.P.] Morgan was attracted to bright, self-possessed women who met him on his own ground, felt at home in society, and shared his gregarious instincts and sybaritic tastes. — Jean Strouse, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 1999 ā€¦ the gregarious trade unionist whose back-slapping mateyness helped make him Australia's most popular politician. — Time, 3 Apr. 1989 As it is a night of many parties, the more social, the more gregarious, the more invited of the guests are wondering whether to go to Harley Street first, or whether to arrive there later, after sampling other offerings. — Margaret Drabble, Harper's, July 1987 She is outgoing and gregarious. a gregarious child who ran up to every person on the playground and wanted to be their friend
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Recent Examples on the Web

 In his first season as the teamā€™s defensive coordinator, the gregarious Martindale demonstrated a gift for keeping opponents off-balance. — Childs Walker, baltimoresun.com, "Ravens seek to continue NFLā€™s ā€˜modelā€™ defensive legacy despite changing faces," 29 Aug. 2019 Secondly, their program is run by a gregarious and difference-making coach. — Jon Becker, The Mercury News, "Oaklandā€™s Laney College, legendary coach chosen for ā€˜Last Chance Uā€™ football series," 8 Aug. 2019 Both Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Un seem to be much more gregarious and outgoing characters. — Alex Ward, Vox, "The secret life of Kim Jong Un," 20 June 2019 The gregarious, 6-foot-6 artist firmly declined to say anything about Trump in an interview. — Steven Litt, cleveland.com, "Emeka Ogboh installation fills CMA atrium with sound of Nigeria and timely message of diversity," 11 Aug. 2019 The gregarious Walton proceeded to talk for three full minutes without interruption, as Black, Green and the umpires laughed. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Padres notes: Jose Castillo returns; Padres help El Paso; Walton delay," 8 Aug. 2019 Cohen, who is fifty-one, is a handsome, salt-and-pepper-haired gay man who is exceedingly gregarious, almost gladhandy, in a way that might turn some off. — Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, "ā€œWatch What Happens Liveā€ Offers a Break from the Drudgery of Late-Night TV," 23 July 2019 But Chrystā€™s comment was a playful shot at Orrā€™s gregarious nature. — Jeff Potrykus, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Badgers football coaches learned valuable lessons after disappointing 2018, plus other takeaways from the Big Ten meetings," 19 July 2019 In his San Antonio days, remember, Leonard made the media-shy Tim Duncan seem gregarious. — Marc Stein, New York Times, "Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to Join the Clippers in a Stunner," 6 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gregarious.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of gregarious

1668, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for gregarious

Latin gregarius of a flock or herd, from greg-, grex flock, herd

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More Definitions for gregarious

gregarious

adjective
How to pronounce gregarious (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of gregarious

: enjoying the company of other people
biology : tending to live in groups

See the full definition for gregarious in the English Language Learners Dictionary

gregarious

adjective
greĀ·​garĀ·​iĀ·​ous | \ gri-Ėˆger-ē-əs How to pronounce gregarious (audio) \

Kids Definition of gregarious

1 : enjoying the company of other people
2 : tending to live in a flock, herd, or community rather than alone gregarious insects

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More from Merriam-Webster on gregarious

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with gregarious

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for gregarious

Spanish Central: Translation of gregarious

Nglish: Translation of gregarious for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of gregarious for Arabic Speakers

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