gingerly
Americanadverb
adjective
adverb
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of gingerly
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”; see genital) + -ly
Explanation
If something needs to be done with great care and caution, you should do it gingerly — like gingerly holding a newborn baby or gingerly creeping down the creaky stairs when you're trying to sneak out. Before it came to mean “extremely cautiously” in 1600, gingerly meant “elegantly, daintily.” In fact, it stems from the Latin word gentius, meaning “(well)-born.” But today it has less to do with elegance and more to do with a delicate touch, usually used to avoid hurting something or someone. For example, you might want to gingerly hug your friend with the broken rib to avoid making her wince in pain.
Vocabulary lists containing gingerly
A Long Walk to Water
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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
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List 6
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
After saving two break points at the start of the deciding set, Raducanu was broken again as she gingerly failed to chase down a drop shot, before calling out the trainer.
From BBC • Feb. 9, 2026
Jokic was slow to rise and walked gingerly to the sideline but stayed in the game.
From Barron's • Feb. 5, 2026
He immediately signaled toward the bench for a sub and walked gingerly back to the sideline while grabbing toward his right knee.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 1, 2025
Trier wisely leaves the specifics of this father-daughter tension vague, painting his characters gingerly and with loving detail until the knockout final stretch of the film pulls back, revealing a full family portrait.
From Salon • Nov. 23, 2025
Clara fidgeted with the bottom of her braid as Boaz sat down gingerly in the seat across from her.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
