cheer
Americannoun
-
cheers
plural
-
a shout of encouragement, approval, congratulation, etc..
The cheers of the fans filled the stadium.
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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!
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something that gives joy or gladness; encouragement; comfort.
words of cheer.
- Synonyms:
- solace
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a state of feeling or spirits.
She entered his room promptly at 7 a.m. with her usual good cheer.
-
gladness, gaiety, or animation.
Festivities will continue all week, with events and attractions spreading holiday cheer across the city.
-
food and drink.
tables laden with cheer.
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Archaic. facial expression.
interjection
verb (used with object)
-
cheers,
present (3rd person singular)
-
cheered,
past participle, past
-
cheering
present participle
-
to salute with shouts of approval, congratulation, triumph, etc..
The team members cheered their captain.
- Synonyms:
- applaud
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to gladden or cause joy to; inspire with cheer (often followed byup ).
The good news cheered her.
- Synonyms:
- animate, exhilarate
- Antonyms:
- dispirit, depress, dishearten, discourage
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to encourage or incite.
She cheered him on when he was about to give up.
- Synonyms:
- inspirit
verb (used without object)
-
cheers,
present (3rd person singular)
-
cheered,
past participle, past
-
cheering
present participle
-
to utter cheers of approval, encouragement, triumph, etc.
-
to become happier or more cheerful (often followed byup ).
She cheered up as soon as the sun began to shine.
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Obsolete. to be or feel in a particular state of mind or spirits.
idioms
-
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.
verb
-
(usually foll by up) to make or become happy or hopeful; comfort or be comforted
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to applaud with shouts
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to encourage (a team, person, etc) with shouts, esp in contests
noun
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a shout or cry of approval, encouragement, etc, often using such words as hurrah! or rah! rah! rah!
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three shouts of hurrah given in unison by a group to honour someone or celebrate something
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happiness; good spirits
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state of mind; spirits (archaic, except in the phrases be of good cheer, with good cheer )
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archaic provisions for a feast; fare
Usage
What does cheer mean? A cheer is a shout or cry of encouragement, approval, or agreement, as in When the band took the stage, the crowd gave a loud cheer. Cheer is also something that gives joy or encouragement, as in a letter that contains good cheer. To cheer is to shout or cry of approval or encouragement, as in The fans cheered the home every time they made a goal. To cheer is also to inspire with cheer, as in Petting my dog always cheers me up when I’m sad. Example: The crowd cheered as the team scored the game winning touchdown.
Synonym Usage
Cheer, gladden, enliven mean to make happy or lively. To cheer is to comfort, to restore hope and cheerfulness to (now often cheer up, when thoroughness, a definite time, or a particular point in the action is referred to): to cheer a sick person; She soon cheered him up. To gladden does not imply a state of sadness to begin with, but suggests bringing pleasure or happiness to someone: to gladden someone's heart with good news. Enliven suggests bringing vivacity and liveliness: to enliven a dull evening, a party.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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cheersimple
-
cheerssimple
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have cheeredperfect
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has cheeredperfect
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am cheeringprogressive
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are cheeringprogressive
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is cheeringprogressive
-
have been cheeringperfect progressive
-
has been cheeringperfect progressive
Past
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cheeredsimple
-
had cheeredperfect
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was cheeringprogressive
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were cheeringprogressive
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had been cheeringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of cheer
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English chere “face,” from Anglo-French; compare Old French chiere, from Late Latin cara “face, head,” from Greek kárā “head”
Explanation
A cheer is what you shout at a sporting event when you cheer your team on, showing your enthusiasm and support. Often there's a lot of cheer or good spirits at these games, unless of course your favorite team loses. The word cheer comes from the Old French chiere, meaning "face." When you cheer someone on, you show approval, whether on your face through a smile, or by shouting encouragement. Cheer is also a quality of being sunny or happy. You can cheer someone up by being silly or entertaining. Or, you could raise a glass to them and toast, "Cheers!"
Vocabulary lists containing cheer
Instead of "Said": Words for Upbeat Banter
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Common Five-letter Words for Wordle, List 2
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Beowulf vocabulary
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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:
Last week, after years of fighting for pay increases, the cheerleaders announced that they have unionized, with the Cowboys recognizing the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleading Assn. as the collective bargaining representative for the cheer squad.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2026
“Hey, LeBron, just because you have a helicopter and you live in New York doesn’t mean we’re gonna cheer for you,” one fan yelled, according to NBC broadcaster Mike Tirico.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
A huge cheer erupted as a senior teacher unlocked the hulking front door and poked her head out into the street.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
And while I was more than happy to cheer on my peers, I also wanted to win.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
There was not always enough firewood to stay warm nor food to stay full, but even nights when they were hungry and cold, Ivy and Gran were always in good cheer.
From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish
Leaving court after the sentencing, Brown was greeted by loud cheers from dozens of fans, posing for photos with some of them before being driven away in a black car.
From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2026
“Clipper Nation, Clipper Nation,” the eighth-year guard said to raucous cheers in Inglewood.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
This was met with cheers from the audience, who were hearing What Is Enough for the first time.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
Then he downed the champagne to loud cheers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
I let the cheers die down and collected myself.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
“As the costumed performers cheered across the stage, MCR frontman Gerard Way told the crowd, ‘Thank you, Dallas.’
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2026
Milwaukee fans cheered “Cooooooooop” whenever Brewers shortstop Cooper Pratt stepped to the plate, as they did when Cecil Cooper tucked into his hunched-over, Carew-esque batting stance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2026
Hundreds of adoring fans cheered and waved goodbye to their shark, unaware that she would still be lingering in the canal by the next day.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
But the momentum helped lift the company’s stock by 5.6% on Thursday, as investors cheered its better-than-expected first-quarter results.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026
Hundreds of students cheered their approval of the speech.
From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Now Sey, who is originally from Ghana and grew up in Canada, has found himself swept up in the very deportation apparatus he spent years cheering on.
From Salon ● Oct. 29, 2026
On stage, the president is met with cheering crowds and fleeting signs of opposition.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
According to her Vente Venezuela party, she tried several times to return but was blocked -- before she appeared Sunday at a church in the city of Barquisimeto surrounded by cheering supporters.
From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2026
"I feel that Bukangi brought us all together, cheering for her… It's a lot of fun."
From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026
Everyone was clapping and cheering, many were crying.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
