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cheer. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
cheer, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
cheer in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
cheer you have here. The definition of the word
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English
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
From Middle English chere, from Old French chere, from Old French chiere, from Late Latin cara.
Noun
cheer (countable and uncountable, plural cheers)
- (uncountable) A cheerful attitude; happiness; a good, happy, or positive mood.
c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: ”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :I have not that alacrity of spirit, / Nor cheer of mind, that I was wont to have.
- (now uncountable) That which promotes good spirits or cheerfulness, especially food and entertainment prepared for a festive occasion.
a table loaded with good cheer
1828, James Hogg, Mary Burnet:"And am I to meet my Mary at Moffat? Come away, little, dear, welcome body, thou blessed of heaven, come away, and taste of an auld shepherd's best cheer, and I'll gang foot for foot with you to Moffat, and my auld wife shall gang foot for foot with us too. I tell you, little, blessed, and welcome crile, come along with me."
1922, Ben Travers, chapter 1, in A Cuckoo in the Nest:“ […] the awfully hearty sort of Christmas cards that people do send to other people that they don't know at all well. You know. The kind that have mottoes like
Here's rattling good luck and roaring good cheer, / With lashings of food and great hogsheads of beer. […].”
- (countable) A cry expressing joy, approval or support, such as "hurrah".
- Synonyms: see Thesaurus:applause
- Antonym: boo
A cheer rose from the crowd.
1864, Alfred Tennyson, “A Welcome to Alexandria. March 7, 1863.”, in Enoch Arden, &c., London: Edward Moxon & Co., , →OCLC, page 164:Welcome her, thunders of fort and of fleet! / Welcome her, thundering cheer of the street!
- (countable) A chant made in support of a team at a sports event.
- (obsolete) One's facial expression or countenance.
1485, Sir Thomas Malory, “viij”, in Le Morte Darthur, book XIII:And soo on the morne they were alle accorded that they shold departe eueryche from other / And on the morne they departed with wepynge chere / and euery knyȝt took the way that hym lyked best- And so they all agreed that they should depart from each other in the morning / And in the morning they departed with weeping faces / and every knight took the way that pleased him best
1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 50, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes , book I, London: Val Simmes for Edward Blount , →OCLC:Heraclitus taking pitie and compassion of the very same condition of ours, was continually seene with a sad, mournfull, and heavie cheere [translating visage], and with teares trickling downe his blubbered eyes.
- (archaic) One's attitude, mood.
1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Mark:And anon he talked with them, and sayde unto them: be of good chere, it is I, be not afrayed.
1659, T[itus] Livius [i.e., Livy], “(please specify the book number)”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Romane Historie , London: W. Hunt, for George Sawbridge, , →OCLC:The parents […] fled away with heavy cheer.
Derived terms
Translations
a cheerful attitude; gaiety
a cry of "hurrah", "hurray", "yeah", or some other word expressing joy
Verb
cheer (third-person singular simple present cheers, present participle cheering, simple past and past participle cheered)
- (transitive) To gladden; to make cheerful; often with up.
We were cheered by the offer of a cup of tea.
1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, , →OCLC, Canto XXXIX, page 61:How often shall her old fireside
Be cheer’d with tidings of the bride,
How often she herself return, […]
- (transitive) To infuse life, courage, animation, or hope, into; to inspirit; to solace or comfort.
- (transitive, obsolete) To encourage to do something.
c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. The First Part , 2nd edition, part 1, London: Richard Iones, , published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire, London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act II, scene vi:Let’s cheere our ſouldiers to incounter him, […]
And burne him in the fury of that flame,
That none can quench but blood and Empery.
- (transitive, intransitive) To applaud or encourage with cheers or shouts.
- Antonym: boo
The crowd cheered in support of the athletes.
The crowd cheered the athletes.
- (transitive, figurative) To feel or express enthusiasm for (something).
The finance sector will cheer this decision.
Derived terms
Translations
to make cheerful
- Dutch: opvrolijken (nl), opbeuren (nl), opfleuren (nl)
- Finnish: ilahduttaa (fi)
- German: aufheitern (de), erfreuen (de), aufmuntern (de)
- Hebrew: עוֹדֵד (he) ('odéd)
- Hungarian: felvidít (hu), felderít (hu), jókedvre derít
- Icelandic: uppörva, peppa upp (informal), porra upp
- Irish: misneach a thabhairt do
- Italian: esultare (it)
- Latin: hilarō, laetificō
- Maori: manahau, manamanahau, whakakoakoa
- Sanskrit: प्रीणाति (sa) (prīṇāti)
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to infuse life, courage, animation, or hope, into; to inspirit; to solace or comfort
— see inspirit,
solace,
comfort
to shout a cheer or cheers
- Ainu: ヤヨパㇻセチュイ (yayoparsecuy)
- Bulgarian: аплодирам (bg) (aplodiram)
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 歡呼/欢呼 (zh) (huānhū), 喝彩 (zh) (hècǎi, hēcǎi)/喝采 (zh) (hècǎi, hēcǎi), 助威 (zh) (zhùwēi), 助陣/助阵 (zh) (zhùzhèn)
- Danish: heppe
- Dutch: juichen (nl), jubelen (nl)
- Esperanto: hurai, plifervorigi
- Finnish: hurrata (fi), kannustaa (fi)
- French: applaudir (fr), acclamer (fr)
- German: jubeln (de), bejubeln (de), jauchzen (de)
- Hebrew: הֵרִיעַ (he) (hería')
- Hungarian: éljenez (hu), drukkol (hu), szurkol (hu), buzdít (hu), biztat (hu), éltet (hu), tapsol (hu)
- Icelandic: fagna (is)
- Irish: scairt
- Italian: incitare (it)
- Japanese: 喝采する (ja) (かっさいする, kassai suru), 声援する (ja) (せいえんする, seien suru), 励ます (ja) (はげます, hagemasu)
- Khmer: please add this translation if you can
- Maori: umere, titihaoa, titihawa, hūrē
- Norwegian: heie (no)
- Portuguese: aclamar (pt)
- Russian: аплоди́ровать (ru) (aplodírovatʹ) (applaud), приве́тствовать (ru) (privétstvovatʹ) (greet), поощря́ть (ru) (pooščrjátʹ) (encourage), воодушевля́ть (ru) (vooduševljátʹ) (encourage, cheer up), подба́дривать (ru) (podbádrivatʹ) (encourage, cheer up), ликова́ть (ru) (likovátʹ) (exult), боле́ть (ru) impf (bolétʹ)
- Spanish: aclamar (es)
- Swedish: hurra (sv), heja (sv)
- Thai: เชียร์ (th) (chiia)
- Vietnamese: cổ vũ (vi)
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Etymology 2
Clipping of cheerleading.
Noun
cheer (uncountable)
- (chiefly Canada, US) Cheerleading, especially when practiced as a competitive sport.
Alex participated in cheer all four years of college.
I'm going to wear my new cheer shoes at cheer today.
1999, Jim Lord, Chris Calvert., Cheerleading: Where Does Your Gym Fit In?:...[P]erspective [sic] gym cheer programs must address how to support a cheer program while maintaining appropriate and safe skill progressions.
- 2000, Linda Villarosa. Cheerleading Changes, and Injuries Increase in The New York Times.
- Last year, more than 75,000 high school participants took part in cheerleading competitions, and the National Federation of State High School Associations says that "competitive cheer" is the fastest growing sport for girls.
- 2018, Chad Thompson. Iowa Central cheer team is tops at national competition in The Messenger.
- The Iowa Central Community College cheer team has achieved something no other college in Iowa has before.
Derived terms
Anagrams