gingerly 1 of 2

adjective

ˈjin-jər-lē How to pronounce gingerly (audio)
Definition of gingerlynext
as in careful
having or showing a close attentiveness to avoiding danger or trouble gave the cork on the bottle of champagne a gingerly twist

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

gingerly

2 of 2

adverb

as in carefully

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gingerly
Adjective
Despite the satisfaction that handlers take in gingerly nursing pangolins back to their full strength, the center’s location and the handlers’ identities must remain a secret. — Kang-Chun Cheng, Christian Science Monitor, 9 July 2025 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
Adverb
Many of the dummies evolved admirably over the competition’s final hour, complete with fine laugh lines and subtle details like creeping wisps of nose hair, which were gingerly applied with tweezers and Krazy Glue. — John Semley, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026 Zambada, wearing a tan jail suit over an orange T-shirt, walked gingerly as deputy federal marshals escorted him to and from the courtroom, which was packed with drug enforcement agents and prosecution staff. — Michael R. Sisak, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for gingerly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gingerly
  1. careful
  2. carefully
  3. wary
  4. formally
  5. cautious
  6. methodically
  7. orderly
  8. systematically
Adjective
  • Without careful planning to reduce the constellations’ brightness, the team found that, in the most extreme case, the satellites could outnumber visible stars by a factor of 100.
    — Arielle Frommer, Scientific American, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Maneuvering in tight spaces requires careful judgment of each individual case — and not just about which body part is least likely to cause offense when brought into close proximity to a fellow diner.
    — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of careful
Adverb
  • The crawl space had to do certain things, and the actor had to move in a certain way, so it was engineered pretty carefully.
    — Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 14 Aug. 2026
  • For smaller sections like the backsplash, carefully apply the sealer with an application brush, making sure to only get into the grout lines.
    — BestReviews, Mercury News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of carefully
Adjective
  • Moscow, meanwhile, is widely seen as remaining wary of opening the door for Chinese security engagement in the Arctic, hoping instead that China will continue to buy up energy and broaden its role building out a lucrative NSR.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Some investors are wary that alternative data management system PostgreSQL could steal market share from MongoDB, driving down the stock by more than 40% in the first quarter, Ikeda said.
    — Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of wary
Adverb
  • Meanwhile, 62 percent of employers acknowledge that targeted redeployment and internal mobility cost less than rehiring, and yet more than half of companies that laid people off never formally considered redeployment as an option.
    — Susan LaMotte, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The Soviet Union took them from Japan in the final days of World War II, and the dispute has kept the countries from signing a peace treaty formally ending their hostilities.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of formally
Adjective
  • Officials were urging residents to be cautious as the hurricane approached.
    — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Despite expert consensus ranking him QB2 (31st overall), there's reason to be cautious.
    — Steve Bradshaw, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of cautious
Adverb
  • Mendoza went three and out on his third drive, but then methodically marched the offense down the field before stalling.
    — Sam Warren, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • After methodically growing its business over nearly three decades and doing periodic tuck-in acquisitions, Lionsgate has assembled 20,000 film and TV titles in its library, which topped $1 billion in revenue in the most recent fiscal year.
    — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of methodically
Adverb
  • The man worked as a hospital orderly, according to the AP.
    — Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 24 June 2026
  • Policymakers have moved to keep the selloff orderly.
    — Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
Definition of orderly
Adverb
  • The testing process utilized 11 distinct temperature rise and fall test platforms to simulate real operational conditions and verify system stability systematically.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 18 Aug. 2026
  • This foundational process involves systematically exploring emerging trends, product solutions, customer segments, and economic sales drivers.
    — Dileep Rao, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of systematically

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gingerliness
gingerly
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Cite this Entry

“Gingerly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gingerly. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of gingerly for Spanish Speakers

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