cheer

See also: Cheer and çheer

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t͡ʃɪə(ɹ)/
• IPA^(key): /t͡ʃɪɹ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪə(ɹ)

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 14^thc.]
   • 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]:

     I have not that alacrity of spirit, / Nor cheer of mind, that I was wont to have.

2. That which promotes good spirits or cheerfulness; provisions prepared for a feast; entertainment.

   a table loaded with good cheer

   • 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. […].”

3. A cry expressing joy, approval or support such as "hurray". [from 18^thc.]

   A cheer rose from the crowd.

   • (Can we date this quote by Alfred, Lord Tennyson and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     Welcome her, thundering cheer of the street.

4. A chant made in support of a team at a sports event.
5. (obsolete) One's facial expression or countenance. [13^th-19^thc.]
   • 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

   • Template:RQ:Florio Montaigne Essayes
   • 1596, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, V.7:

     ‘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 14^thc.]
   • 1526, William Tyndale, trans. Bible, Mark VI:

     And anon he talked with them, and sayde unto them: be of good chere, it is I, be not afrayed.

   • (Can we date this quote by Holinshed and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     The parents […] fled away with heavy cheer.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:applause

Derived terms

• Bronx cheer

Translations

A cheerful attitude; gaiety

• Bulgarian: настроение (bg) n (nastroenie)
• Finnish: iloisuus (fi), hilpeys (fi)
• Greek:

  Ancient: εὐφροσύνη f (euphrosúnē)

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: buonumore (it) m
• Spanish: alegría (es) f

A cry of "hurrah", "hurray", "yeah", or some other word expressing joy

• Bulgarian: одобрително възклицание (odobritelno vǎzklicanie)
• Esperanto: hurao
• Finnish: hurraahuuto, kannustushuuto
• Hebrew: תשואות (tshu'ot) f pl
• Malay: sorakan
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Maori: umere
• Norwegian: heiarop n
• Persian: هلهله (fa) (halhale)
• Spanish: hurra (es)
• Swedish: hejaramsa c

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.
   • (Can we date this quote by Dryden and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     The proud he tamed, the penitent he cheered.

3. (transitive, intransitive) To applaud or encourage with cheers or shouts.

   The crowd cheered in support of the athletes.

   The crowd cheered the athletes.

Antonyms

• boo

Derived terms

Derived terms

• cheerful
• cheer on
• cheers
• cheer up

• cheery
• Christmas cheer (noun)
• in good cheer
• wotcher

Translations

to make cheerful

• Finnish: ilahduttaa (fi)
• Latin: hilarō, laetificō
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Maori: manahau, manamanahau, whakakoakoa

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), 欢呼 (zh) (huānhū), 喝彩 (zh) (hècǎi, hēcǎi)/喝采 (zh) (hècǎi, hēcǎi), 助威 (zh) (zhùwēi), 助陣／助阵 (zh) (zhùzhèn), 助阵 (zh) (zhùzhèn)

• Danish: heppe
• Esperanto: hurai
• Finnish: hurrata (fi), kannustaa (fi)
• French: applaudir (fr), acclamer (fr)
• German: jubeln (de), aufmuntern (de), aufheitern (de), applaudieren (de)
• 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)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Khmer: please add this translation if you can
• Maori: umere
• 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)
• Spanish: aclamar (es)
• Swedish: hurra (sv), heja (sv)
• Thai: please add this translation if you can
• Vietnamese: cổ vũ

Etymology 2

Clipping of cheerleading.

Noun

cheer (uncountable)

1. Cheerleading.

   I'm going to wear my new cheer shoes at cheer today.

   • 1999, Jim Lord and 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.

Anagrams

• reech