definitions

cheerful

[ cheer-fuhl ]
/ ˈtʃɪər fəl /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR cheerful ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

full of cheer; in good spirits: a cheerful person.
promoting or inducing cheer; pleasant; bright: cheerful surroundings.
characterized by or expressive of good spirits or cheerfulness: cheerful songs.
hearty or ungrudging: cheerful giving.

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RELATED WORDS

glee, encouragement, gladness, gaiety, buoyancy, solace, comfort, liveliness, animation, exuberance, hilarity, joy, delight, geniality, merriment, optimism, jocundity, cheer, mirth, hopefulness

Nearby words

cheep, cheer, cheer on, cheer up, cheerer-upper, cheerful, cheerfully, cheerio, cheerlead, cheerleader, cheerleading

Origin of cheerful

First recorded in 1400–50, cheerful is from the late Middle English word cherfull. See cheer, -ful
Related forms
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for cheerfulness

British Dictionary definitions for cheerfulness

cheerful

/ (ˈtʃɪəfʊl) /

adjective

having a happy disposition; in good spirits
pleasantly bright; gladdeninga cheerful room
hearty; ungrudging; enthusiasticcheerful help
Derived Formscheerfully, adverbcheerfulness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for cheerfulness

cheerful

adj.

c.1400, "full of cheer," from cheer (n.) + -ful. Meaning "elevating the spirits" is from mid-15c. Related: Cheerfully; cheerfulness.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper