Basic Details
Word: Gregarious
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Fond of company and happiest when with other people; for animals, living together in groups.
Synonyms: sociable, outgoing, friendly
Antonyms: solitary, unsociable, reserved
How to Spell Gregarious
Syllables: gre - gar - i - ous
Tricky part: The word starts with gre, not gri or gra. The ending is arious, so an i sits between the r and ous.
Watch out for: gregarius, gregareous, gragarious
Memory tip: Split it as Greg + arious. The arious part is the same ending as in various and hilarious.
Usage Examples
Example 1: My gregarious cousin had made five new friends by the end of the wedding.
Example 2: Sheep and deer are gregarious animals that feel safer in a herd.
Example 3: Arjun is quiet at home, but he turns gregarious as soon as he reaches the playground.
Fun Fact
Gregarious comes from the Latin word grex, meaning a flock or herd, which is also hidden in congregation and segregate.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word: gregarious
a) friendly
b) outgoing
c) sociable
d) solitary
Show answer
d) solitary. Someone solitary likes to be alone, while sociable, outgoing and friendly all describe a gregarious person.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
sogiaregru
a) gregarious
b) precarious
c) gorgeous
d) glorious
Show answer
a) gregarious. Two g's, two r's and the ending ious can only make gregarious.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
gregairious
a) u
b) r
c) a
d) i
Show answer
d) i. After the second r comes the only i in arious; the one before it is extra.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A gregarious child at a birthday party is most likely to ____.
a) chat and play with everyone
b) refuse to join any game
c) sit alone in a corner
d) leave early without a word
Show answer
a) chat and play with everyone
2. Which animal would best be described as gregarious?
a) a snail in its shell
b) a tiger that hunts on its own
c) a spider alone in its web
d) an elephant that lives in a large herd
Show answer
d) an elephant that lives in a large herd
