gingerly

1 of 2

adjective

gin·ger·ly ˈjin-jər-lē

Synonyms of gingerly next

: very cautious or careful

… loose, exfoliated rock, into which he hammered pitons with the gingerly care of a carpenter finishing cabinets.—

David Roberts

His questions were gingerly and puzzled.—

John Skow

gingerliness noun

gingerly

2 of 2

adverb

: with extreme care concerning the result of a movement or action : very cautiously and carefully

These working dogs know how to use their jaws gingerly, without exerting undue pressure in handling the livestock.—

American West

Today, IVF specialists around the world routinely incubate human eggs and sperm in a laboratory dish and then gingerly transfer a fertilized egg to the mother's uterus.—

Kathy A. Fackelmann

Nick Price sat on a cheap folding chair as a group of somber journalists arrived, intending to gingerly ask him how it was that one of the world's best players had just shot an 82 in the third round of the 1998 British Open.—

Jeff Williams

Did you know?

Though more common as an adverb meaning “very cautiously and carefully,” as in “moving gingerly across the icy pond,” gingerly has for more than four centuries functioned both as an adverb and as an adjective. Etymologists take a gingerly approach to assigning any particular origins to gingerly. While it might have come from the name of the spice, there’s nothing concrete to back up that idea. Another theory is that it’s related to an Old French word, gençor, meaning “prettier” or “more beautiful,” with evidence being that in 16th century English an earlier sense of gingerly often described dancing or walking done with dainty steps. It wasn’t until the 17th century that gingerly was applied to movements done with caution in order to avoid being noisy or causing injury, and to a wary manner in handling or presenting ideas.

Examples of gingerly in a Sentence

Adjective gave the cork on the bottle of champagne a gingerly twist

Recent Examples on the Web

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Adjective

Unlike the gingerly approach to easing restrictions targeting the spread of the virus, the country is split over reopening businesses and schools. —

Kendall Karson, ABC News, 7 Mar. 2021 All the while, amid the unpacking of groceries and food prep and reminiscing, the group addresses in gingerly fashion the subject of Rose’s cancer. —

Alexandra Enders, The New York Review of Books, 26 May 2020

Adverb

With about three minutes left in the Mavericks game, Melton appeared to fall awkwardly and get up gingerly. —

Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 14 Nov. 2024 In the video, the bear gingerly grabs a trash can and walks backward to move it out of the garage, careful not to knock anything over. —

Andrea Margolis, Fox News, 28 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for gingerly