cheer
- a shout of encouragement, approval, congratulation, etc.: The cheers of the fans filled the stadium.
- 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!
- something that gives joy or gladness; encouragement; comfort: words of cheer.
- a state of feeling or spirits: Their good cheer overcame his depression.
- gladness, gaiety, or animation: full of cheer and good spirits.
- food and drink: tables laden with cheer.
- Archaic. facial expression.
- cheers, (used as a salutation or toast.)
- to salute with shouts of approval, congratulation, triumph, etc.: The team members cheered their captain.
- to gladden or cause joy to; inspire with cheer (often followed by up): The good news cheered her.
- to encourage or incite: She cheered him on when he was about to give up.
- to utter cheers of approval, encouragement, triumph, etc.
- to become happier or more cheerful (often followed by up): She cheered up as soon as the sun began to shine.
- Obsolete. to be or feel in a particular state of mind or spirits.
- 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.
Origin of cheer
Synonyms
See more synonyms for cheer on Thesaurus.comSynonym study
Antonyms
Examples from the Web for cheers
Contemporary Examples
No cheers for those who push and vote against taking climate change seriously.
"We're not anti-police, we're anti-police brutality," a member of the Justice League told the crowd, to cheers.
But the occasion is even more special when you can cheers with some funky flutes.
The Daily Beast’s 2014 Holiday Gift Guide: For the Carrie Bradshaw in Your LifeAllison McNearney
November 29, 2014
It is republished here with permission from Kael's daughter; please enjoy the review, originally titled, “Three Cheers.”
The appeals court ruling was greeted with cheers from many corners of Nevada and the legal community generally.
Historical Examples
The chairman rose to propose the toast of the evening, and was received with cheers.
Explorations in AustraliaJohn Forrest
Groans and cheers were mingled, and his voice at first was drowned by the din.
The Grand Old ManRichard B. Cook
I love it because it is rich and beautiful, and so cheers my heart and soul.
The DreamEmile Zola
The crowd gave three cheers, which I considered as a proof I was not so very wrong.
Ned MyersJames Fenimore Cooper
We were answered first with three cheers, after which we heard their story.
Ned MyersJames Fenimore Cooper
cheers
- a drinking toast
- goodbye! cheerio!
- thanks!
cheer
- (usually foll by up) to make or become happy or hopeful; comfort or be comforted
- to applaud with shouts
- (when tr, sometimes foll by on) to encourage (a team, person, etc) with shouts, esp in contests
- a shout or cry of approval, encouragement, etc, often using such words as hurrah! or rah! rah! rah!
- three cheers three shouts of hurrah given in unison by a group to honour someone or celebrate something
- happiness; good spirits
- state of mind; spirits (archaic, except in the phrases be of good cheer, with good cheer)
- archaic provisions for a feast; fare
Word Origin
Word Origin and History for cheers
cheer
n.
c.1200, "the face," especially as expressing emotion, from Anglo-French chere "the face," Old French chiere "face, countenance, look, expression," from Late Latin cara "face" (source of Spanish cara), possibly from Greek kara "head," from PIE root *ker- "head" (see horn (n.)). From mid-13c. as "frame of mind, state of feeling, spirit; mood, humor."
By late 14c. the meaning had extended metaphorically to "mood, mental condition," as reflected in the face. This could be in a good or bad sense ("The feend ... beguiled her with treacherye, and brought her into a dreerye cheere," "Merline," c.1500), but a positive sense (probably short for good cheer) has predominated since c.1400. Meaning "shout of encouragement" first recorded 1720, perhaps nautical slang (cf. earlier verbal sense, "to encourage by words or deeds," early 15c.). The antique English greeting what cheer (mid-15c.) was picked up by Algonquian Indians of southern New England from the Puritans and spread in Indian languages as far as Canada.
cheer
v.
late 14c., "to cheer up, humor, console;" c.1400 as "entertain with food or drink," from cheer (n.). Related: Cheered; cheering. Sense of "to encourage by words or deeds" is early 15c. Which had focused to "salute with shouts of applause" by late 18c. Cheer up (intransitive) first attested 1670s.
Idioms and Phrases with cheers
cheer
In addition to the idioms beginning with cheer
- cheer on
- cheer up
also see:
- three cheers