cheer
Americannoun
-
cheers
plural
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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.
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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
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cheering
present participle
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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
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be of good cheer, (used as an exhortation to be cheerful).
Be of good cheer! Things could be much worse.
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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
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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:
The political satire was a big hit at the school, which led students to use the call of the Frog chorus, “Caxys, co-ax, co-ax, co-ax,” to cheer on their classmates.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
"I'm so proud of him, so proud of everyone, his mates, it's amazing," he said before getting the crowd of students to cheer for his son.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
Lumentum Holdings sees big opportunities in its future, and that’s reason enough for investors to cheer the broader optical-electronics industry on Wednesday.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026
Some leap over flame as friends raise phones and cheer.
From Salon ● Aug. 11, 2026
That brought a loud cheer from the crowd.
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
Carlos Irving Quintana, a slim 14-year-old with purple hair, wins cheers of approval with his enactment of the iconic "Siuuu" leap of Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo when he scores a goal.
From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026
Marija is also, despite insisting otherwise to Vytas, seeing someone—a female colleague, who cheers on her resignation but doesn’t go so far as to follow her out the door.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
There were loud cheers from the crowds, with many shouting "thank you Bonnie" as her coffin entered the church to the tune of her hit single If I Sing you a Love Song.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
Rios drew cheers from Marquez and others when she vowed to connect with other Guadalupanos on the Eastside to organize a march against Lineage.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
And for that moment, the Vanderbeeker kids forgot their troubles and joined the adults in loud applause and cheers.
From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser
The announcement sparked celebrations among protesters, who danced and cheered at a stadium in Ranchi, where they have been camping since 25 July.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
Fans of the opposing Golden State Valkyries cheered Carrington’s return to Chase Center after the outrage over her Aug. 8 flagrant foul against Cunningham.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026
CoreWeave’s second-quarter earnings showed that demand for artificial-intelligence infrastructure remains red-hot, as investors cheered an earnings beat that sent the stock up 12% in after-hours trading Tuesday.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
The crowd waved signs and cheered again as Wade Crowfoot, California’s secretary for natural resources, stepped up to speak.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
Natalie paused for a moment as the people in the audience cheered again.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
In the middle of a cheering crowd in Mexico City, two teenagers are limbering up for battle.
From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026
Supporters are cheering a new federal housing law that should make it easier and cheaper to build modular and manufactured homes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
His cheering friends were already outside blasting music and snapping and filming this much-loved Nigerian "signing-out" ritual.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
He enjoys the Friday night football atmosphere and is fueled by fans cheering.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
The crowd started cheering and stamping their feet.
From "The Million Dollar Shot" by Dan Gutman
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.
