Word part · Latin root
Gress root words: meaning and 20 examples
In short
The Latin root gress (from Latin) means "step, or go". It is also spelled grade. Words with it include centigrade, progress, progresses, progressive, progression and regress. Gress names stepping (progress), and grade names a step on a scale (upgrade).
- Part
- gress
- Meaning
- step, or go
- Origin
- Latin
- Also spelled
- grade
- Words listed
- 20
Gress names stepping (progress), and grade names a step on a scale (upgrade). Both come from one Latin verb for walking.
Words with the Latin root gress
The list runs from shorter, common words to longer ones. The bands are a rough guide built from syllable count and how common each word is in our word list, not a grade-level standard. Read each word, then its word sum.
Colors:prefixroot or basesuffix
Start here: short, common words (about grades 3 and 4)
| Word | Word sum | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| progress | pro (prefix)+gress (root or base)→progress | steps forward |
| degrade | de (prefix)+grade (root or base)→degrade | bring down a step; make worse |
| upgrade | up (root or base)+grade (root or base)→upgrade | move up a step to something better |
More words: grade, grades
Next: longer words (about grades 5 and 6)
| Word | Word sum | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| centigrade | centi (root or base)+grade (root or base)→centigrade | a temperature scale with a hundred steps |
| progresses | pro (prefix)+gress (root or base)+es (suffix)→progresses | moves forward (one thing, now) |
| progressive | pro (prefix)+gress (root or base)+ive (suffix)→progressive | moving forward step by step |
| progression | pro (prefix)+gress (root or base)+ion (suffix)→progression | a series of steps forward |
| regress | re (prefix)+gress (root or base)→regress | step back to an earlier stage |
| degrading | de (prefix)+grade (root or base)+ing (suffix)→degradingdrop the e | bringing down a step, now |
| upgraded | up (root or base)+grade (root or base)+ed (suffix)→upgradeddrop the e | moved up to something better |
| grader | grade (root or base)+er (suffix)→graderdrop the e | a person who marks work with a grade |
More words: gradual, gradually, graduate, graduation, aggressive, congress
Stretch: long or less common words (about grades 7 and 8)
| Word | Word sum | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| downgrade | down (root or base)+grade (root or base)→downgrade | move down a step |
Where does gress sit in a word?
A root can come first, last or in the middle. Students who only look at the start of a word miss half of these.
- At the start:
- grader
- In the middle:
- progressive, progression
- At the end:
- centigrade, progress, progresses, regress, degrade, degrading, upgrade, upgraded, downgrade
How do you teach the root gress?
Gress means step or go. Progress is the place to start: steps forward. Re means back, so regress means to step back. The second spelling, grade, means a step on a scale. A grade in school is a step, and an upgrade is a step up. Students already know grade and progress, so the link between them is new and memorable.
A quick routine
Draw three steps going up and say, "Gress and grade mean step." Write progress and ask, "Which way are the steps going?" Forward. Then write regress, upgrade and downgrade, and ask the student to point up, down, forward or back for each. Close by dictating progression and having the student name the parts pro, gress, ion.
What do students mix up with gress?
Students may not see the link between grade and progress because the spellings look so different. Show both on the steps drawing. Grass, great and grate are look-alikes with no stepping in them. Ingredient comes from the same root (something that steps into a mix), but it is spelled gred, so save it for a stretch word.
Some of these words change spelling where the parts join. The spelling rules pages cover dropping e, doubling and changing y to i. For the sounds inside these words, see the phonics word lists. Routines that fit: meanings of prefixes and suffixes, circle the parts, read the base and flexible routine for big words.
Questions people ask
What does the root gress mean?
Gress means "step, or go". It is a Latin root, also spelled grade. Gress names stepping (progress), and grade names a step on a scale (upgrade). Both come from one Latin verb for walking.
What are some words with the root gress?
Start with progress, degrade, upgrade and grade. Then move to centigrade, progresses and downgrade. This page lists 20 words in all, most with a word sum that shows the parts.
Is graduate from the same root as progress?
Yes. To graduate is to step up from one stage of school to the one after it. Both words come from the Latin verb for stepping.
Related word parts
- pro-forward, or for
- re-again, or back
- de-down, away, or remove
- centhundred, or a hundredth
- judjudge
- gratpleasing, or thanks
Terms on this page: morpheme, root, prefix, suffix, base word, word sum, morphology.
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