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

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

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

But Lynch, who died last week, at seventy-eight, made films in which every cheerful surface seemed to obscure an eerie reality. —Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 25 Jan. 2025

Videos of their vigorous, cheerful efforts soon went viral, drew international coverage and were a forceful counterpoint to Trump’s xenophobic insults. —Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2025

Sandy says with a cheerful smile, happy to embrace all of it. —Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 16 Jan. 2025

Set up a build-your-own hot dog bar, build-your-own s'mores bar (or skillet s'mores dip), and a cheerful spiked punch that will take everyone back to young adulthood. —Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 15 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see cheer entry 1

First Known Use

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

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