Definition of GREGARIOUS (original) (raw)
1
b
: marked by or indicating a liking for companionship : sociable
is friendly, outgoing, and gregarious
c
: of or relating to a social group
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
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
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Soon, one of them, a gregarious red-headed senior at Shawnee Mission East High School, began to rock back and forth. —Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 16 Jan. 2025 Although gregarious by nature, some bottlenose dolphins are quite adventurous, and can set off on their own to live in foreign waters. —Grrlscientist, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024 Huddleston brings a gregarious energy to the role — a sort of Santa-as-Kenny Rogers down-home father figure with a raspy voice and a sincere love of children. —Katie Rife, Vulture, 16 Nov. 2024 Working with songwriters Isaac Hayes and David Porter and often with Booker T. and the MG’s as their backup band, Sam and Dave soon became one of Stax’s powerhouses; Moore was the gregarious showman, while Prater took a secondary, low-key role. —David Browne, Rolling Stone, 10 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for gregarious 
Word History
Etymology
Latin gregarius of a flock or herd, from greg-, grex flock, herd
First Known Use
1668, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of gregarious was in 1668
Dictionary Entries Near gregarious
Cite this Entry
“Gregarious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gregarious. Accessed 12 Feb. 2025.
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Last Updated: 30 Jan 2025 - Updated example sentences
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