cheer

See also: Cheer and çheer

English

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

From Anglo-Norman chere, from Old French chiere, from Late Latin cara.

Noun

cheer (countable and uncountable, plural cheers)

  1. (obsolete) The face. [13th-16thc.]
    • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter 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
    • 1603, John Florio, transl.; Michel de Montaigne, The Essayes, […], printed at London: […] Edward Blount […], OCLC 946730821:
      , I.50:
      Heraclitus taking pitie and compassion of the very same condition of ours, was continually seene with a sad, mournfull, and heavie cheere [transl. visage], and with teares trickling downe his blubbered eyes.
  2. (obsolete) One's expression or countenance. [13th-19thc.]
    • 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.’
  3. (archaic) One's attitude, mood. [from 14thc.]
    • 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.
    • Holinshed
      The parents […] fled away with heavy cheer.
  4. (uncountable) A cheerful attitude; gaiety; mirth. [from 14thc.]
    • William Shakespeare (1564-1616)
      I have not that alacrity of spirit, / Nor cheer of mind, that I was wont to have.
  5. 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. […].”
  6. A cry expressing joy, approval or support such as "hurray". [from 18thc.]
    A cheer rose from the crowd.
    • Tennyson (1809-1892)
      Welcome her, thundering cheer of the street.
  7. A chant made in support of a team at a sports event.
Synonyms
  • See also Thesaurus:applause
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.
    • Dryden
      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
Derived terms
Translations

Etymology 2

Clipping of cheerleading.

Noun

cheer (uncountable)

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