Gregarious
/ɡrɪˈɡɛriəs/
adjectiveB2
Definition
Gregarious means someone or something that likes to be around other people or animals. It is often used to describe social, friendly, and outgoing behavior. For animals, it means living or moving in groups or herds.
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See It in Action
Enjoying being with others; social and outgoing
- •She is very gregarious and makes friends easily at school.
- •Gregarious people often enjoy parties and group activities.
- •He has a gregarious personality and loves meeting new people.
(About animals) Living or moving in groups
- •Dolphins are gregarious animals that swim in pods.
- •Many birds are gregarious and travel in flocks.
- •The gregarious nature of elephants helps protect the herd.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "gregarious" like "friendly," but it means more than just being nice — it means loving to be with others all the time.
- ✓Picture a group of people laughing and talking together happily at a party, not alone or shy.
- ✓It’s the feeling you get when you want to join friends and enjoy their company.
- ✓Sounds like "GRE-garious" → imagine a group of friends saying "Great gathering!" because they all like being together.
- ✓In stories, gregarious characters are those who easily make friends and enjoy crowds.
- ✓NOT like "shy" (avoids people), gregarious people seek company.
- ✓NOT like "lonely" (alone and sad), gregarious means happy to be with others.
- ✓NOT like "quiet" or "reserved," gregarious means outgoing and talkative.
- ✓For animals, NOT like "solitary" (alone), gregarious animals live in groups for safety or fun.
Try Other Words
- •Sociable: liking to talk and be with others (Use when describing friendly people who enjoy socializing but maybe less intensely)
- •Outgoing: very friendly and energetic with people (Use when emphasizing energy and confidence in social situations)
- •Friendly: kind and pleasant to others (Use for general kindness, not necessarily love of groups)
- •Social: relating to activities with others (Use in broader contexts about group activities or behavior)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: from Latin "greg-" meaning "flock" or "group" + suffix "-arious" meaning "related to"
- •Etymology: comes from Latin "gregarius," meaning belonging to a flock or herd
- •Historical development: originally used to describe animals living in groups, later used for people who like company
- •Modern usage: used to describe people or animals that enjoy groups and social interaction, often in positive sense
Reflect & Connect
•How does being gregarious help people in their daily lives and work?
•Can someone be gregarious in some situations but not in others? Why might that happen?
Fill in the blanks
1.She is gregarious because she loves to ___ with friends and meet new people.
2.Unlike shy people, gregarious individuals feel ___ when they are alone for too long.
3.Gregarious animals often live in ___ for safety and social reasons.
4.When someone is gregarious, they usually enjoy ___ events like parties or group meetings.
5.A gregarious person often uses ___ language to keep conversations going.
6.You can tell he is gregarious because he always ___ to join group activities.
7.The opposite of gregarious is ___, meaning someone who prefers to be alone.