gingerly
Meanings
Adjective Satellite
- with extreme care or delicacy; ; - W.S.White
- "they proceeded with gingerly footwork over the jagged stones"
- "the issue was handled only in a gingerly way"
Adverb
- in a gingerly manner
- "gingerly I raised the edge of the blanket"
Adv
- In a cautious and delicate manner; (very) carefully or cautiously.
- Chiefly of dancing or walking: done with small, dainty steps; daintily; also, with excessive delicacy; affectedly, mincingly.
Adj
- Often of movements: very careful, cautious, or delicate.
- Often of a person or the way they move: dainty, delicate; also, excessively delicate; affected, mincing.
Origin / Etymology
The second element is -ly; the first element may be Anglo-Norman gençur or Old French gençor, gensor, comparative forms (also attested as positives) of gent (“beautiful, noble, pleasant, courteous”). The Oxford English Dictionary notes, however, that there is a gap of a few centuries between the last appearance of gençor, etc., and the first appearance of gingerly.
The adjective is derived from the adverb, possibly because -ly is also a suffix forming adjectives.
Scrabble Score: 13
gingerly is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL wordgingerly is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
gingerly is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary
Words With Friends Score: 16
gingerly is a valid Words With Friends word