Cheer Meaning
/t͡ʃɪə̯/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA cheerful attitude; happiness; a good, happy, or positive mood.
nounThat which promotes good spirits or cheerfulness, especially food and entertainment prepared for a festive occasion.
Sentence Examples
We tried to cheer him up by taking him out.
I want to go and cheer.
A great cheer went up from the crowd.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The crowd began to ____ loudly when their team scored the winning goal.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The crowd began to ____ loudly when the home team scored a goal.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English chere, from Anglo-Norman chere, from Old French chiere (“head, face; appearance; reception, hospitality; meal, dinner, food”) (Modern French chère), from Late Latin cara (“head”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"I have not that alacrity of spirit, / Nor cheer of mind, that I was wont to have."
— 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[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii]:
""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.""
— 1828, James Hogg, Mary Burnet:
"“[…]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.[…].”"
— 1921, Ben Travers, chapter 1, in A Cuckoo in the Nest, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1925, →OCLC:
"Welcome her, thunders of fort and of fleet! / Welcome her, thundering cheer of the street!"
— 1864, Alfred Tennyson, “A Welcome to Alexandria. March 7, 1863.”, in Enoch Arden, &c., London: Edward Moxon & Co., […], →OCLC, page 164:
"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"
— 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, “viij”, in Le Morte Darthur, book XIII:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The crowd began to ____ loudly when their team scored the winning goal.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The crowd began to ____ loudly when the home team scored a goal.