Definition of gingerly
(Entry 1 of 2)
: 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
gingerly
adverbDefinition of gingerly (Entry 2 of 2)
: 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
Test Your Vocabulary
Name That Color
-
- Name that color:

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
A daily challenge for crossword fanatics.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share gingerly
Time Traveler for gingerly
The first known use of gingerly was in 1596
See more words from the same year