cheery
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of cheery
Explanation
Something that's cheery makes you feel happy. A cheery summer day is sunny and bright. It's always fun to spend time with a cheery friend, one who is positive and happy, or to participate in some cheery activity, like watching a funny movie or having a picnic. Cheery things do exactly what they sound like — they cheer you up. You can also use cheerful to mean the same thing, and both words are rooted in cheer, from the Anglo-French chere, "the face," with 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.
See Examples For:
Even the brief imitation of Lennon’s “losing control” scream is laser-precise, meant to boost the song’s momentum and carry it through a cheery and lazy surf solo.
From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026
I commended Hilton for his cheery, aspirational messaging, which is what Latinos want to hear.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026
Pop artist Peter Max, whose cheery psychedelic creations helped define the counterculture aesthetic in the 1960s, died on Monday, US media reported.
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
A 2012 self-portrait shows a startled, wan Mr. Hockney unhappily staring at the viewer as if we’ve just interrupted a rare moment of peace; it’s a radical departure from his usually cheery depictions of himself.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
He says a cheery and surprised “Oh, hello,” and then he is gone.
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
The band later had hits with much cheerier material, including "Friday I'm in Love".
From Barron's ● Dec. 26, 2025
His version of the hero is far cheerier and more optimistic that other iterations, particularly compared to Henry Cavill's portrayal of him which was grittier and darker.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2025
Taken together they're the closest any of us may come to knowing what it's like to pass through a black hole and emerge into a cheerier existence.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2023
A brightly lit home is cheerier and welcoming.
From Seattle Times ● May 16, 2023
His gayety at luncheon once more won Deering to a cheerier view of his destiny.
From The Madness of May by Frederic Dorr Steele
Their festive rush through the streets will make you fall in love with New York's cheeriest seasonal spots while longing for the moment when strangers Dash and Lily finally collide.
From Salon ● Dec. 20, 2024
Defence stocks rose, rarely the cheeriest sign from a human perspective.
From Reuters ● Sep. 21, 2022
The cheeriest part of the school is the wellness center, with social workers, therapists, bean bag chairs and soothing paint colors.
From New York Times ● Dec. 24, 2021
Not the cheeriest sentiment, perhaps, but — just as with the fleeting beauty of the cherry blossoms — periodical cicadas do lend themselves to verse.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 8, 2021
I went up to the manager and said in my cheeriest voice, “Good afternoon. I am from the People’s Center summer camp, and I buy dinner groceries at this store.”
From "One Crazy Summer" by Rita Williams-Garcia
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.
