If you know someone who's outgoing, sociable, and fond of the company of others, you might want to call her gregarious.

  • Pronunciation: /grɪ'gɛrɪəs/
  • English Description: living together or enjoying life in communities or organized groups
  • Chinese Translation: 社交的(she4 jiao1 de)
  • Spanish Translation: gregario
  • STORY: The word was originally used to describe animals that live in flocks — it's from the Latin word grex, meaning "herd." Not surprisingly, people began using it to describe humans who liked being in groups. Today biologists still speak of gregarious species, but you're more likely to hear it in reference to people. Despite what you might suspect, it has no historical connection to the name Gregory — but if you know an outgoing fellow with that name, you could call him Greg-arious.


  • He was a gregarious person who knew no strangers.
  • She recalls her father, an athlete for as long as she can remember, as a “gregarious person” and a “big jokester.”
