Meaning & use
gregarious
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Meanings
adjectivecomparableapproving
Friendly and fond of being with other people.
Grammar: Describes a person's social nature: a gregarious host, or he is gregarious.
Patterns
- a gregarious person
- gregarious by nature
Our gregarious neighbor knows everyone on the street.
She is gregarious and always organizes parties.
The gregarious waiter chatted with every table.
adjectivecomparablebiologytechnical
Of animals, tending to live or move in groups rather than alone.
Grammar: Used in biology for species: gregarious birds.
Patterns
- a gregarious species
Starlings are gregarious birds that gather in huge flocks.
Wolves are gregarious animals living in packs.
The gregarious habits of sheep make them easy to herd.
Word forms
| comparative | more gregarious |
|---|---|
| superlative | most gregarious |
Common combinations
- gregarious nature
- His gregarious nature made him a popular host.
- gregarious person
- She is a gregarious person who loves company.
- naturally gregarious
- Dogs are naturally gregarious creatures.
- gregarious and outgoing
- The class president was gregarious and outgoing.
- gregarious animals
- Gregarious animals often rely on the group for safety.
Synonyms and how they differ
- sociable
- Sociable is more everyday and means enjoying others' company, while gregarious suggests an even stronger need for crowds.
- outgoing
- Outgoing describes friendly, confident behavior, but gregarious stresses seeking company.
- extroverted
- Extroverted is a personality type, whereas gregarious describes a social behavior.
- convivial
- Convivial describes a lively, friendly atmosphere or host, often around food and drink.
Opposites
Word family
- gregariousness noun
- the quality of enjoying company
- gregariously adverb
- in a sociable manner
- congregate verb
- to gather in a group
- segregate verb
- to separate people or things from a group
Commonly confused: gregarious or egregious?
gregarious vs egregious
Egregious means shockingly bad, and has nothing to do with sociability, despite looking similar.
Practice
A person who loves parties and chatting with strangers is best described as ___.
Choose one answer.
Gregarious means fond of company. Reclusive is the opposite, and prudent and picky do not describe sociability.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “gregarious”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.