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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

gingerly

2 of 2

adverb

as in carefully

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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
Will the Fox News election team have to walk gingerly in November? — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026 In the fourth quarter, left tackle Rashawn Slater lay for several moments on the turf and was examined by medical staff before rising to his feet and walking gingerly to the sideline with an ankle injury. — Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 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
  • There’s that Japanese concept of space and pause—in the wide corridors, the uncluttered lobby, the careful symmetry.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The first step was to tailor it to her size, while being careful to preserve the bespoke construction.
    — Bella Webb, Vogue, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of careful
Adverb
  • That's a particularly important part of the equation because two-stroke engines rely heavily on carefully tuned exhaust systems to manage gas flow and extract performance.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Nov. 2026
  • No security tool catches every threat, so continue checking unexpected messages carefully.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of carefully
Adjective
  • Watch out for predatory practices, like APRs above 36%, and be wary of lenders that guarantee approval or demand an upfront payment in exchange for a loan.
    — Dan Avery,Jasmin Suknanan, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2026
  • As reflected in the relatively tight election, nearly half of voters are a bit wary about whether Raman would move the city’s policy and philosophy orientation too far to the left.
    — Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of wary
Adverb
  • Although formally known in Puerto Rico as El Día de Acción de Gracias, in true Boricua fashion, Thanksgiving is often referred to as Sanguiving, a play on words that gestures to the Roman Catholicism that remains the region’s predominant religion.
    — Von Diaz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 Nov. 2026
  • The House investigates alleged misconduct and decides whether to formally charge an official through articles of impeachment.
    — Meg Kinnard, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of formally
Adjective
  • During this time, mature bucks become increasingly active and less cautious to establish dominance within their territory.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 7 Nov. 2026
  • The challenge now is balancing expansion with operational discipline, particularly as Cava enters new markets and consumers become more cautious about spending.
    — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of cautious
Adverb
  • Rather than relying solely on movement around the pool, the navigation system is intended to help the cleaner cover surfaces more methodically, reducing the amount of manual intervention required.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Drunk on pollen and nectar, the bees retreat to their hives for the night, carefully and methodically, as if driven by a higher intelligence, an anonymous architect, or pure chance.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 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
  • Santander, a native of Margarita, Venezuela, watched political movements systematically transform his home country's legal institutions and economy.
    — Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Trump has spent much of his second presidency systematically undermining those assets.
    — David Averre, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of systematically

Browse Nearby Words

gingerliness
gingerly
gingersnap
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Gingerly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gingerly. Accessed 12 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gauntlet

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All