gregarious
adjective
gre·gar·i·ous
gri-ˈger-ē-əs 
1
2
a
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
gregariously
adverb
gregariousness
noun
Did you know?
When you're one of the herd, it's tough to avoid being social. The origin of gregarious is from 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.
Synonyms
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
… 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
Jean Strouse, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 1999
… 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
Recent Examples on the Web
Lambert was theatrical and gregarious and a celebrity of his own making — someone who’d come from nothing and become well-known in the art world, Kilcullen said.
—Tim Stelloh, NBC News, 4 Nov. 2024
But as the more gregarious couple become increasingly bizarre and aggressive, their guests struggle to stand up for themselves — and slowly begin to suspect something nefarious about their new friends.
—Mike Miller, EW.com, 13 Sep. 2024
Longtime head coach Tony Guzzo, a gregarious man with heavy hands and a no-nonsense attitude, bonded with Verlander and his family.
—Chandler Rome, The Athletic, 20 Aug. 2024
Not-so-happy couple Anne (Synnøve Karlsen) and Patrick (Luke Norris) go on the ultimate hell ride with a gregarious, over-sharing driver (Nick Frost, living it up here).
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gregarious 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Tim Stelloh, NBC News, 4 Nov. 2024
But as the more gregarious couple become increasingly bizarre and aggressive, their guests struggle to stand up for themselves — and slowly begin to suspect something nefarious about their new friends.
—Mike Miller, EW.com, 13 Sep. 2024
Longtime head coach Tony Guzzo, a gregarious man with heavy hands and a no-nonsense attitude, bonded with Verlander and his family.
—Chandler Rome, The Athletic, 20 Aug. 2024
Not-so-happy couple Anne (Synnøve Karlsen) and Patrick (Luke Norris) go on the ultimate hell ride with a gregarious, over-sharing driver (Nick Frost, living it up here).
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gregarious
Dictionary Entries Near gregarious
Cite this Entry
“Gregarious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gregarious. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
gregarious
adjective
gre·gar·i·ous
gri-ˈgar-ē-əs
-ˈger-
1
: tending to associate with others of one's kind : social
also
: tending to live in a flock, herd, or community rather than alone
gregarious birds
2
: marked by a liking for companionship : sociable
gregariously
adverb
gregariousness
noun
Etymology
from Latin gregarius "relating to a herd or flock," from greg-, grex "flock, herd" — related to congregate
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share