cheer

See also: Cheer and çheer

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)

  1. (uncountable) A cheerful attitude; happiness; a good, happy, or positive mood. [from 14th c.]
  2. (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."
    • 1921, Ben Travers, chapter 1, in A Cuckoo in the Nest, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1925, →OCLC:
      “ […] 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. […].”
  3. (countable) A cry expressing joy, approval or support, such as "hurrah". [from 18th c.]
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:applause
    Antonym: boo
    Three cheers for the birthday boy!
    A cheer rose from the crowd.
  4. (countable) A chant made in support of a team at a sports event.
  5. (obsolete) One's facial expression or countenance. [13th–19th c.]
    • 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[entine] 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.
    • 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book V, Canto VII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
      ‘thorough evill rest of this last night, / Or ill apayd or much dismayd ye be; / That by your change of cheare is easie for to see.’
  6. (archaic) One's attitude, mood. [from 14th c.]
Derived terms
Translations

Verb

cheer (third-person singular simple present cheers, present participle cheering, simple past and past participle cheered)

  1. (transitive) To gladden; to make cheerful; often with up.
    We were cheered by the offer of a cup of tea.
  2. (transitive) To infuse life, courage, animation, or hope, into; to inspirit; to solace or comfort.
  3. (transitive, obsolete) To encourage to do something.
    • c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] 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.
  4. (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.
  5. (transitive, figurative) To feel or express enthusiasm for (something).
    The finance sector will cheer this decision.
Derived terms
Translations
to infuse life, courage, animation, or hope, into; to inspirit; to solace or comfort — see inspirit,‎ solace,‎ comfort

Etymology 2

Clipping of cheerleading.

Noun

cheer (uncountable)

  1. (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
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