cheer
gb/t͡ʃˈɪɹ/ us/t͡ʃˈɪɹ/
A2
English
~ 1400
Senses
0 senses
Verb
A2
action
1
Shout to encourage or support
To shout to make someone feel supported or happy.
Usage pattern:
to cheer [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'cheer' with 'clap', but 'cheer' usually involves shouting words of support, not just making noise by hand clapping.
Synonyms
applaud (Focuses on clapping rather than shouting, but also shows approval.)
Antonyms
boo (Shouting to express disapproval or dislike instead of support.)
Collocations
cheer loudly
|cheer for
|fans cheer
|crowd cheer
|cheer wildly
Themes
emotions
|sports
|daily life
|communication
|arts_entertainment
Examples
- The crowd cheered as the team scored the winning goal.
- Fans cheered for their favorite singer.
- Everyone cheered when she walked on stage.
- They cheered the runners as they crossed the finish line.
Learner examples
- The people cheered for the team.
- We cheered when she won the race.
- They cheered loudly at the concert.
- Fans cheered for the player.
Verb
A2
action
2
Make someone feel happier
To help someone feel happy again when they are sad.
Usage pattern:
to cheer [someone] up
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes forget 'up' in 'cheer up' when using this meaning.
Synonyms
encourage (Focuses on giving confidence and hope, not necessarily lifting sadness.)
Antonyms
depress (To make someone feel sad or hopeless.)
Collocations
cheer up
|cheer someone up
|try to cheer
Themes
emotions
|relationships
Examples
- I bought her flowers to cheer her up after the bad news.
- His jokes always cheer me up.
- A good meal will cheer you up.
Learner examples
- He told a joke to cheer me up.
- The music cheered her up.
- We tried to cheer him up after the test.
- Ice cream can cheer me up.
Noun
A2
event
3
Shout of encouragement
A loud call to show you like or support something.
Synonyms
applause (Clapping hands to show approval, not shouting.)
Antonyms
booing (Shouting to show dislike or disapproval.)
Collocations
loud cheer
|wild cheer
|round of cheers
Themes
emotions
|sports
|communication
|arts_entertainment
Examples
- A cheer went up from the audience.
- The announcement was met with cheers.
- They gave a loud cheer when he arrived.
Learner examples
- The crowd gave a cheer.
- We heard cheers from the stadium.
- They shouted cheers for the team.
Noun
B1
state
4
Feeling of happiness and positivity
A happy and positive feeling.
Synonyms
happiness (General feeling of pleasure; 'cheer' often relates to a social, lively atmosphere.)
Antonyms
gloom (A feeling of sadness or darkness in mood.)
Collocations
holiday cheer
|spread cheer
|full of cheer
Themes
emotions
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The decorations brought some cheer to the office.
- Her smile filled the room with cheer.
- They tried to spread holiday cheer.
Learner examples
- The party was full of cheer.
- Music brings me cheer.
- He spreads cheer wherever he goes.
Grammar
Dictionary form
cheer
IPA
GB/t͡ʃˈɪɹ/
US/t͡ʃˈɪɹ/
Syllables & stress
cheer (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (cheer)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: cheer
- Plural: cheer, cheers
Verb
- Base: cheer
- 3rd Person Singular: cheers
- Present Participle: cheering
- Past: cheered
Word family
Forms
cheers
noun
cheering
verb
cheered
verb
Core family
cheerful
adjective A2
cheerfully
adverb B1
Related words
cheery
adjective
cheerleader
noun
cheerleading
noun
Negative and opposite forms
cheerless
adjective
Advanced or less common
cheerfulness
noun B2
Expressions
cheer up
1/t͡ʃˈɪɹ ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
Become or make happier
To start feeling happy again, or to make someone else feel happy again.
Examples
- Cheer up! Things will get better soon.
- I bought him a gift to cheer him up.
give three cheers for [someone/something]
1/ɡˈɪv θɹˈi t͡ʃˈɪɹz fɚ sˈoʊmˈoʊnsəmˈɛθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
Shout three times in support or celebration
To shout three times loudly to show you like or support someone or something.
Examples
- Let's give three cheers for the winners! Hip hip hooray! Hip hip hooray! Hip hip hooray!
- We gave three cheers for our teacher.
holiday cheer
1/hˈɑlɪdˌeɪ t͡ʃˈɪɹ/
fixed phrase
Festive happiness during holidays
The happy and friendly feeling people often have during holiday times.
Examples
- The lights and music filled the town with holiday cheer.
- We enjoyed the holiday cheer at the party.
spread cheer
1/spɹˈɛd t͡ʃˈɪɹ/
fixed phrase
Cause happiness in others widely
To make many people feel happy and positive.
Examples
- She spread cheer by handing out free cookies.
- Volunteers spread cheer at the hospital during the holidays.