cheerful

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adjective cheer·ful \ ˈchir-fəl \

Definition of cheerful

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

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cheerfully

play \-f(ə-)lē\ adverb

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cheerfulness

play \-fəl-nəs\ noun

See cheerful defined for English-language learners

See cheerful defined for kids

Examples of cheerful in a Sentence

She has a cheerful outlook on life.
He seems a little more cheerful today.

Recent Examples of cheerful from the Web

Beyond the delightful foliage and cheerful summer flowers, narrowleaf ironweed is an absolute star in the bomb-proof constitution category.

— paul cappiello, The Courier-Journal, "Ironweeds. How this old field weed turned into a garden gem," 18 Aug. 2017
A snow machine churned out soapy bubbles and drinks were served in Santa mugs and bronze gnome cups (can’t even; cheerful as hell).

— marielle wakim, Los Angeles Magazine, "That Precious Pop-Up Christmas Bar Is Coming Back to the Arts District in November," 17 Aug. 2017
A full lighting rig allows Belle’s village to be bright and cheerful while the Beast’s castle is dark and foreboding.

— matthew j. palm, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Tale as old as time shines in new theater," 9 Aug. 2017
In a sea of pink pouts and swipes of cheerful cherry, a noir lip is the mark of midsummer daring.

— calin van paris, Vogue, "Gigi Hadid Steps Out in Summer's Riskiest Makeup Trend," 20 July 2017
This is definitely a hotel or AirBnB.) Eric's family is fantastic and so cheerful.

— elizabeth logan, Glamour, "'The Bachelorette' Season 13 Episode 8 Recap: Dean Has an Emotional Hometown," 17 July 2017
Gobbetti—a cheerful 57-year-old Italian—soon agreed to take over as Burberry’s CEO, leaving Bailey, 46, to concentrate on design.

— stephanie baker, Bloomberg.com, "Christopher Bailey’s Out as Burberry CEO. He Couldn’t Be Happier," 5 July 2017
For others, though, there's the slightest bit of (cheerful) envy that their kids won't have to wait to find out what happens next.

— deepti hajela, Philly.com, "Hogwarts fans: The next generation," 1 July 2017
SERVICE Our cheerful waitress was relaxed and observant.

— suzanne loudermilk, baltimoresun.com, "New America serves eclectic diner food with artistic flair," 29 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cheerful.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of cheerful

see ¹cheer

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

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cheerful Synonyms

Synonyms

blithe, blithesome, bright, buoyant, canty [British dialect], cheery, chipper, eupeptic, gay, gladsome, lightsome, sunny, upbeat, winsome

Antonyms

dour, gloomy, glum, morose, saturnine, sulky, sullen

Near Antonyms

joyless, sad, unhappy, unsatisfied; dull, lethargic, listless, sluggish, torpid; blue, brokenhearted, crestfallen, dejected, depressed, despondent, disconsolate, disheartened, down, downcast, downhearted, droopy, forlorn, hangdog, heavyhearted, inconsolable, low, low-spirited, melancholy, mirthless, sorrowful

CHEERFUL Defined for English Language Learners

cheerful

play

adjective

Definition of cheerful for English Language Learners

: feeling or showing happiness
: feeling or showing that you are willing to do something without complaining
: causing good feelings or happiness

CHEERFUL Defined for Kids

cheerful

play

adjective cheer·ful \ ˈchir-fəl \

Definition of cheerful for Students

1 :feeling or showing happiness

2 :causing good feelings or happiness

cheerful news

3 :pleasantly bright

a sunny cheerful room

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cheerfully

\-fə-lē\ adverb

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cheerfulness

noun

Learn More about cheerful

See words that rhyme with cheerful Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for cheerful Spanish Central: Translation of cheerful Nglish: Translation of cheerful for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of cheerful for Arabic speakers

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CHEERFUL Defined for English Language Learners

cheerful

Definition of cheerful for English Language Learners

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