cheerful

adjective

cheer·​ful ˈchir-fəl How to pronounce cheerful (audio)
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 adverb
cheerfulness noun

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 Yolanda Gibbs, a 56-year-old cafeteria worker who was remembered as a friendly person who always tried to make the school’s cafeteria a cheerful environment, was shot and killed in the parking lot that morning before doors opened to students. James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Feb. 2024 But there are less cheerful potential ramifications of choosing to use ccTLDs, whether as a gag or some other reason. Wes Davis, The Verge, 12 Feb. 2024 Now, with his new movie, Drive-Away Dolls, Ethan has made a gonzo comedy about dopes with guns chasing cheerful fools around dingy American motels in pursuit of a meaningless bag of loot. David Sims, The Atlantic, 21 Feb. 2024 This cheerful restaurant spills out on to the cobbled stones. Chloe Sachdev, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Feb. 2024 Despite the setting, the 28-year-old remains cheerful — but admits that the exhaustion of two years of war is taking its toll. Richard Engel, NBC News, 21 Feb. 2024 Prior to the prison stint, Miller, a cheerful guy in his early fifties, had run a construction company and a serious marijuana operation, simultaneously. Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024 Crisp, full-bodied and satisfying, this collaboration is a cheerful salute to Blind Lady’s 15th birthday. Peter Rowe, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Feb. 2024 So, amid the doom and gloom, there are reasons to be cheerful. Olivia Potts, Longreads, 15 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cheerful.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see cheer entry 1

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of cheerful was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near cheerful

Cite this Entry

“Cheerful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cheerful. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cheerful

adjective
cheer·​ful ˈchi(ə)r-fəl How to pronounce cheerful (audio)
1
a
: full of good spirits
a cheerful outlook
b
: willing sense 3
cheerful obedience
2
: pleasantly bright
a sunny cheerful room
cheerfully adverb
cheerfulness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on cheerful

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