cheer
Americannoun
-
cheers
plural
-
a shout of encouragement, approval, congratulation, etc..
The cheers of the fans filled the stadium.
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a set or traditional form of shout used by spectators to encourage or show enthusiasm for an athletic team, contestant, etc., as rah! rah! rah!
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something that gives joy or gladness; encouragement; comfort.
words of cheer.
- Synonyms:
- solace
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a state of feeling or spirits.
She entered his room promptly at 7 a.m. with her usual good cheer.
-
gladness, gaiety, or animation.
Festivities will continue all week, with events and attractions spreading holiday cheer across the city.
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food and drink.
tables laden with cheer.
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Archaic. facial expression.
interjection
verb (used with object)
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cheers,
present (3rd person singular)
-
cheered,
past participle, past
-
cheering
present participle
-
to salute with shouts of approval, congratulation, triumph, etc..
The team members cheered their captain.
- Synonyms:
- applaud
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to gladden or cause joy to; inspire with cheer (often followed byup ).
The good news cheered her.
- Synonyms:
- animate, exhilarate
- Antonyms:
- dispirit, depress, dishearten, discourage
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to encourage or incite.
She cheered him on when he was about to give up.
- Synonyms:
- inspirit
verb (used without object)
-
cheers,
present (3rd person singular)
-
cheered,
past participle, past
-
cheering
present participle
-
to utter cheers of approval, encouragement, triumph, etc.
-
to become happier or more cheerful (often followed byup ).
She cheered up as soon as the sun began to shine.
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Obsolete. to be or feel in a particular state of mind or spirits.
idioms
-
be of good cheer, (used as an exhortation to be cheerful).
Be of good cheer! Things could be much worse.
-
with good cheer, cheerfully; willingly.
She accepted her lot with good cheer.
verb
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(usually foll by up) to make or become happy or hopeful; comfort or be comforted
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to applaud with shouts
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to encourage (a team, person, etc) with shouts, esp in contests
noun
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a shout or cry of approval, encouragement, etc, often using such words as hurrah! or rah! rah! rah!
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three shouts of hurrah given in unison by a group to honour someone or celebrate something
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happiness; good spirits
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state of mind; spirits (archaic, except in the phrases be of good cheer, with good cheer )
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archaic provisions for a feast; fare
Usage
What does cheer mean? A cheer is a shout or cry of encouragement, approval, or agreement, as in When the band took the stage, the crowd gave a loud cheer. Cheer is also something that gives joy or encouragement, as in a letter that contains good cheer. To cheer is to shout or cry of approval or encouragement, as in The fans cheered the home every time they made a goal. To cheer is also to inspire with cheer, as in Petting my dog always cheers me up when I’m sad. Example: The crowd cheered as the team scored the game winning touchdown.
Synonym Usage
Cheer, gladden, enliven mean to make happy or lively. To cheer is to comfort, to restore hope and cheerfulness to (now often cheer up, when thoroughness, a definite time, or a particular point in the action is referred to): to cheer a sick person; She soon cheered him up. To gladden does not imply a state of sadness to begin with, but suggests bringing pleasure or happiness to someone: to gladden someone's heart with good news. Enliven suggests bringing vivacity and liveliness: to enliven a dull evening, a party.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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cheersimple
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cheerssimple
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have cheeredperfect
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has cheeredperfect
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am cheeringprogressive
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are cheeringprogressive
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is cheeringprogressive
-
have been cheeringperfect progressive
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has been cheeringperfect progressive
Past
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cheeredsimple
-
had cheeredperfect
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was cheeringprogressive
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were cheeringprogressive
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had been cheeringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of cheer
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English chere “face,” from Anglo-French; compare Old French chiere, from Late Latin cara “face, head,” from Greek kárā “head”
Explanation
A cheer is what you shout at a sporting event when you cheer your team on, showing your enthusiasm and support. Often there's a lot of cheer or good spirits at these games, unless of course your favorite team loses. The word cheer comes from the Old French chiere, meaning "face." When you cheer someone on, you show approval, whether on your face through a smile, or by shouting encouragement. Cheer is also a quality of being sunny or happy. You can cheer someone up by being silly or entertaining. Or, you could raise a glass to them and toast, "Cheers!"
Vocabulary lists containing cheer
Instead of "Said": Words for Upbeat Banter
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Common Five-letter Words for Wordle, List 2
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Beowulf vocabulary
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Mudryk received a huge cheer when his picture appeared on the big screen at Kai Tak Stadium, where Chelsea held an open training session before facing Juventus.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
When James Duval, a veteran of six Araki projects, often as the director’s stand-in, arrives on-screen it feels like an applause break for fans to cheer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
The stock’s weakness following the delay prompted some SpaceX fans, who closely monitor and cheer its launches, to share their frustrations in social-media posts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
"We're going to cheer for Spain," said Juan Camilo Abusaid, a 28-year-old finance worker in Bogota.
From Barron's ● Jul. 18, 2026
“Good afternoon,” she said, full of good cheer.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
And while Grande later insisted the break was pre-planned and not “reactive or impulsive,” there’s no doubt the announcement was timed to dull the cacophony of both the jeers and cheers.
From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2026
“Viva Mexico!” said R∅z’s Hugo Lara, as cheers rang and flags waved before him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
No cheers this week so I can adequately spotlight what might be my jeers of the year: a taxi scam in Paris.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
The ship serenely splashed into the Indian Ocean to wild cheers from SpaceX employees, who were watching live footage from the company's Starbase.
From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026
Suddenly, the audience broke into a fresh round of cheers.
From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles
Alumni and family cheered and danced alongside them at Dorsey’s first ever full athletics reunion.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026
Amazon.com reported Thursday that cloud-computing sales are quickening, and that its investments in data centers to serve cloud customers are accelerating, a combination that has cheered investors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
The number everyone cheered described a world that ended a week before it was published.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
But when the final whistle blew on this year’s World Cup finale and three-quarters of the packed house at Chapter One: The Modern Bistro cheered wildly, I realized I was finally, truly a soccer fan.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
The Gran clapped her hands together, and a sound like thunder fell over them as the crowd cheered.
From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega
For example, in “Every Brilliant Thing,” the lone person on stage, played by Daniel Radcliffe, is tasked with cheering up a deeply depressed mom by making a list of things that make life worth living.
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026
She was introduced as “comrade” to the cheering room.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Mazariegos was cheering at a World Cup final watch party that doubled as a fundraiser.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Then more than 70 people got out of the vehicles, men dressed in military fatigues and balaclavas, cheering and playing music.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
If I were to give the feeling a sound, it would sound like the hazmats’ cheering.
From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
