GRE Words from the 'Greg' Root: One Herd, Many Words

The Latin root greg means "flock" or "herd" (from grex, gregis). Once you see the herd inside each word, a cluster of GRE vocabulary clicks into place at once.

Congregate (to gather into a crowd). con- (together) + greg (flock). Hook: a congregation flocks together.

Segregate (to set apart). se- (apart) + greg (flock). Hook: to segregate is to separate from the flock.

Aggregate (to gather into a total or mass). ag- (toward) + greg (flock). Hook: an aggregate herds many parts toward one total.

Gregarious (sociable, fond of company). greg (flock). Hook: a gregarious person loves being in the flock — surrounded by people.

Egregious (conspicuously bad; flagrant). e- (out of) + greg (flock). Originally "standing out from the flock" in a remarkable way; over time it came to mean standing out for being remarkably bad. Hook: an egregious error stands out from the herd of ordinary mistakes.

Egregious is the trap word here. Its root suggests "standing out," which sounds neutral or even positive, but its modern meaning is strongly negative — conspicuously bad. The GRE rewards knowing that the connotation shifted.

Verbloom groups words by root so relatives like gregarious and egregious are learned together, with sentences that pin down each word's true connotation.