cheerful
Americanadjective
adjective
-
having a happy disposition; in good spirits
-
pleasantly bright; gladdening
a cheerful room
-
hearty; ungrudging; enthusiastic
cheerful help
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of cheerful
First recorded in 1400–50, cheerful is from the late Middle English word cherfull. See cheer, -ful
Explanation
Someone who's cheerful is spirited and happy. Your sister might be so cheerful that you hear her whistling joyfully first thing in the morning. If you're full of good humor and optimism, your friends probably describe you as cheerful. A cheerful bus driver, restaurant server, or calculus teacher can brighten your whole day. Cheerful means "full of cheer," and cheer, which came to mean "good mood or spirit," started out in the 13th century meaning "the face," from the Late Latin cara, "face," and its Greek root, kara, "head."
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.
It has freezer jam, bright and almost indecently cheerful, a small rebellion against the end of fruit season.
From Salon • Jul. 11, 2026
Our critic said the presentation “sets out to recast Moses as more complicated than the cheerful, childlike images her name conjures and as a legitimizer of self-taught art.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 5, 2026
“I look very happy-go-lucky and cheerful, but actually, I am a very dark person because I have a dark history,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 3, 2026
Marco Antonio Franco from the Mexican Red Cross described Gil as "a cheerful man".
From BBC • Jul. 2, 2026
During their meal they had enjoyed some cheerful poetry read aloud by Mater Lumley.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
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.
