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.
Even after receiving treatment, he continued to move gingerly around the court, struggling to chase down shots and leaning heavily on his racquet between points.
From BBC • May 28, 2026
My fingers delicately prodded and pushed; I gingerly lifted the dough to stretch it on the backs of my hands.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
In the center of Good’s memorial, a man gingerly brushed snow from cardboard signs, shook out bouquets of flowers and wiped off teddy bears.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2026
He gingerly walked to the bench and then to the locker room.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2026
We clung to one another, hardly able to keep our balance, as we made our way gingerly across the ice towards them.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
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.
