gingerly

English

Etymology

(1510) Maybe from Old French gensor, comparative of gent (“nice, kind, pretty”), from Latin gentius (“well-born”)

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA: /ˈdʒɪn.dʒər.li/

Adverb

gingerly (comparative more gingerly, superlative most gingerly)

1. Gently; in a delicate or cautious manner.

   He placed the glass jar gingerly on the concrete step.

   • 2012 June 3, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “Mr. Plow” (season 4, episode 9; originally aired 11/19/1992)”:

     Purchasing a snowplow transforms Homer into a new man. Mr. Burns' laziest employee suddenly becomes an ambitious self-starter who buys ad time on local television at 3:17 A.M (prime viewing hours, Homer gingerly volunteers, for everyone from alcoholics to the unemployable to garden-variety angry loners) and makes a homemade commercial costarring his family.

Translations

gently

• Bulgarian: внимателен (bg) (vnimatelen), предпазлив (bg) (predpazliv)
• Chinese: 轻手轻脚 (qīngshǒuqīngjiǎo)
• Danish: varsomt (da), forsigtigt (da)
• Dutch: behoedzaam (nl), voorzichtig (nl)
• Finnish: varovasti (fi)

• French: doucement (fr), précautionneusement (fr)
• Norwegian: forsiktig (no), varsomt (no), sirlig (no), nennsomt (no)
• Romanian: cu precauție (ro), cu băgare de seamă (ro)

Adjective

gingerly (comparative more gingerly, superlative most gingerly)

1. (dated) Ginger.
   • 1886, Thomas Hardy, The Mayor of Casterbridge

     ...penetrating cautiously into dark cellars, sallying forth with gingerly tread to the garden, now leaf-strewn by autumn winds...

Anagrams

• niggerly

References

• “gingerly” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary (2001).