cheerful

adjective

cheer·​ful ˈchir-fəl 

1

a

: full of good spirits : merry

a cheerful host

b

: ungrudging

cheerful obedience

2

: conducive to cheer : likely to dispel gloom or worry

sunny cheerful room

cheerfully

ˈchir-f(ə-)lē 

adverb

cheerfulness

ˈchir-fəl-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of cheerful

• bright
• optimistic
• cheery
• sunny
• upbeat
• smiling
• buoyant

Examples of cheerful in a Sentence

She has a cheerful outlook on life.

He seems a little more cheerful today.

Recent Examples on the Web

Scenes of playtime on the living-room floor, or of dinner amid cheerful family chat, all feel deeply lived in and plainly observed, even as the objects of daily life, from a doorknob to a sippy cup, take on outsized dramatic power. —Richard Brody, New Yorker, 12 June 2026

Beauty writer Kara Nesvig called the Jo Malone fragrance bright and fruity thanks to cheerful peach notes at the top, with honey serving as a delicate backbone, in her Allure roundup of honey perfumes. —Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 12 June 2026

Protect your focus, then follow through with cheerful consistency today. —Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 11 June 2026

Should the models prove too cheerful, the loss will not come to rest with a reinsurer in Bermuda. —Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

see cheer entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for cheerful

• fearful
• tearful

Kids Definition

cheerful

adjective

cheer·​ful ˈchi(ə)r-fəl 

1

a

: full of good spirits

a cheerful outlook

b

: willing sense 3

cheerful obedience

2

: pleasantly bright

a sunny cheerful room

cheerfully

-f(ə-)lē 

adverb

cheerfulness

-fəl-nəs 

noun