cheerleader

1 of 2

noun

cheer·​lead·​er ˈchir-ˌlē-dər 

: one that calls for and directs organized cheering (as at a football game)

cheerlead

ˈchir-ˌlēd 

verb, transitive + intransitive

cheerleading

ˈchir-ˌlē-diŋ 

noun

cheerlead

2 of 2

verb, transitive + intransitive

cheer·​lead ˈchir-ˌlēd 

cheerleaded also cheerled ˈchir-ˌled  ; cheerleading; cheerleads

1

intransitive : to call for and direct organized cheering (as at a football game)

Only in its second year of existence, the Jr. Hurricanes cheerlead at football games played by elementary and middle school boys.

—Robert Storace, New Britain (Connecticut) Herald, 19 Nov. 2012

2

transitive + intransitive : to express enthusiastic support for something or someone in an effort to gain support from others

The senate Hatch bill to create a national asbestos victim trust fund is being cheerleaded by Vice President Dick Cheney.

—Marshfield News (Wisconsin), 11 Feb. 2006

She would eventually cheerlead for the filmmakers who became her friends, involve herself in casting decisions, rhapsodically review "Nashville" months before it was finished …

—Janet Maslin, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2011

Examples of cheerleader in a Sentence

Noun

a politician who is a cheerleader for the government's new economic plan

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Richards played Kelly Van Ryan, a spoiled cheerleader who attends Blue Bay High School, shot at Ransom Everglades in Coconut Grove. — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 28 Sep. 2026

The performance started atop bleachers and ended on the field, with the pair surrounded by an ensemble of dancers that included the cheerleaders for the Dallas Cowboys. — Ashley Iasimone, Billboard, 27 Sep. 2026

If Trump does push ahead, his main cheerleaders will be GOP candidates in tight races this fall who are eager to market more ideas to lower costs before the midterms. — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 25 Sep. 2026

The job of protecting the world’s most sacred cheerleader fell to her father, Noah (or HRG), played by Jack Coleman. — Megan Vick, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb, transitive + intransitive

back-formation from cheerleader

First Known Use

Noun

1896, in the meaning defined above

Verb, Transitive + Intransitive

1943, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

cheerleader

noun

cheer·​lead·​er ˈchi(ə)r-ˌlēd-ər 

: a person who leads organized cheering (as at a football or basketball game)

cheerlead

-ˌlēd 

verb

cheerleading

-ˌlē-diŋ 

noun