gingerly

[ jin-jer-lee ]

adverb

1. with great care or caution; warily.

   Synonyms: prudently, carefully, cautiously

adjective

1. cautious, careful, or wary.

gingerly

/ ˈdʒɪndʒəlɪ /

adverb

1. in a cautious, reluctant, or timid manner

adjective

1. cautious, reluctant, or timid

Derived Forms

• ˈgingerliness, noun

Other Words From

• ginger·li·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of gingerly¹

First recorded in 1510–20; ginger-, perhaps from Middle French gensor, genzor “delicate, pretty” (positive use of comparative of gent “high-born, noble,” also “beautiful, shapely,” from Latin genitus “begotten”; genital ) + -ly

Word History and Origins

Origin of gingerly¹

C16: perhaps from Old French gensor dainty, from gent of noble birth; see gentle

Example Sentences

Once the excavator moved away, the Red Cross workers stepped gingerly onto the mound of rubble, their backs stooped as they examined what remained of lives lived in what had been seven apartments.

From Los Angeles Times

Every line of dialogue falls gingerly from Jolie’s lips as if it were uttered by a happy mistake.

From Salon

He walked off the field under his own power, but walked gingerly back to the clubhouse as a hush fell upon a sellout crowd.

From Los Angeles Times

So I turned the knob and gingerly walked in.

From Los Angeles Times

Before Biden and Trump, the media tended to treat the mental fitness of would-be presidents gingerly.

From Los Angeles Times