cheerio
Americaninterjection
-
goodbye; goodbye and good luck.
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(formerly used as a toast to one's drinking companions.)
noun
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cheerios
plural
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a goodbye or farewell.
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Older Use. a toast of “cheerio!”
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a farewell greeting
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a drinking toast
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of cheerio
First recorded in 1905–10; see cheero; source of -i- is unclear
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:
His departure was only announced to the squad 10 minutes beforehand, with Clarke sharing the shocking news to those he credited most in his heartfelt cheerio.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
“Ta and cheerio — and have a great night.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2023
Rule Brittania, pip pip, cheerio and all that!
From New York Times ● Jul. 10, 2016
When I'd start to explain, she'd say: 'Well, you've seen me now, so cheerio.'
From The Guardian ● May 11, 2013
Well, cheerio, old thing--weather looks dud--you're going to have it bumpy in the morning, if you're on a pup.
From Mr. Punch's History of the Great War by Charles L. (Charles Larcom) Graves
In it, Bru can be seen toting around his little one in the baby carrier as the baby bites off of cheerios hanging from the makeshift necklace he’s wearing.
From Fox News ● Jul. 14, 2021
For an encore, maybe he can toss cheerios into his guests mouths from across the table.
From New York Times ● Feb. 2, 2018
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.