gingerlier

Adjective

gingerly (comparative more gingerly or (rare, proscribed) gingerlier, superlative most gingerly or (rare, proscribed) gingerliest)

1. Often of movements: very careful, cautious, or delicate.
   • We can honestly commend the Atlantic Monthly as the most able and spirited of American periodicals, at the present time, and we like it, moreover, because it dares have opinions and to express them in unmistakable terms, on subjects which when referred to at all, by most of the current magazines...1857 November 30, “The Atlantic Monthly”, in Wisconsin Daily State Journal, volume VI, number 366, Madison, Wis., →OCLC, page [2], column 3

   Synonyms:

   ginger, gingerish, tentative, wary

2. (obsolete) Often of a person or the way they move: dainty, delicate; also, excessively delicate; affected, mincing.
   • All yᵉ rest of my trimmest, tricksiest, gingerliest ioyes, / But very tædious and most odious toyes?1573 September, Gabriel Harvey, “The Schollars Loove, or Reconcilement of Contraryes”, in Edward John Long Scott, editor, Letter-Book of Gabriel Harvey, A.D. 1573–1580. […] ([Camden Society...

See all 4 meanings of gingerly