/t͡ʃɪə̯/, /t͡ʃɪɹ/, /t͡ʃiə/
OriginFrom Middle English chere, from Anglo-Norman chere, from Old French chiere (“head, face; appearance; reception, hospitality; meal, dinner, food”) (Modern French chère), from Late Latin cara (“head”).
- uncountableA cheerful attitude; happiness; a good, happy, or positive mood.
“I have not that alacrity of spirit, / Nor cheer of mind, that I was wont to have.”
- uncountableThat which promotes good spirits or cheerfulness, especially food and entertainment prepared for a festive occasion.
“a table loaded with good cheer”
“"And am I to meet my Mary at Moffat? Come away, little, dear, welcome body, thou blessed of heaven, come away, and taste of an auld shepherd's best cheer, and I'll gang foot for foot with you to Moffa”
““[…]the awfully hearty sort of Christmas cards that people do send to other people that they don't know at all well. You know. The kind that have mottoes like
Here's rattling good luck and roaring go”
- countableA cry expressing joy, approval or support, such as "hurrah".
“Three cheers for the birthday boy!”
“A cheer rose from the crowd.”
“Welcome her, thunders of fort and of fleet! / Welcome her, thundering cheer of the street!”
- countableA chant made in support of a team at a sports event.
- countable, obsolete, uncountableOne's facial expression or countenance.
“And soo on the morne they were alle accorded that they shold departe eueryche from other / And on the morne they departed with wepynge chere / and euery knyȝt took the way that hym lyked best” — And so they all agreed that they should depart from each other in the morning / And in the morning they departed with weeping faces / and every knight took the way that pleased him best
“Heraclitus taking pitie and compassion of the very same condition of ours, was continually seene with a sad, mournfull, and heavie cheere [translating visage], and with teares trickling downe his blub”
“‘thorough evill rest of this last night, / Or ill apayd or much dismayd ye be; / That by your change of cheare is easie for to see.’”
- archaic, countable, uncountableOne's attitude, mood.
“And anon he talked with them, and sayde unto them: be of good chere, it is I, be not afrayed.”
“The parents […] fled away with heavy cheer.”
- Canada, US, uncountableCheerleading, especially when practiced as a competitive sport.
“Alex participated in cheer all four years of college.”
“I'm going to wear my new cheer shoes at cheer today.”
“...[P]erspective [sic] gym cheer programs must address how to support a cheer program while maintaining appropriate and safe skill progressions.”
- transitiveTo gladden; to make cheerful; often with up.
“We were cheered by the offer of a cup of tea.”
“How often shall her old fireside
Be cheer’d with tidings of the bride,
How often she herself return, […]”
- transitiveTo infuse life, courage, animation, or hope, into; to inspirit; to solace or comfort.
“The proud he tam'd, the penitent he cheer'd.”
- obsolete, transitiveTo encourage to do something.
“Let’s cheere our ſouldiers to incounter him, […]
And burne him in the fury of that flame,
That none can quench but blood and Empery.”
- ambitransitiveTo applaud or encourage with cheers or shouts.
“The crowd cheered in support of the athletes.”
“The crowd cheered the athletes.”
- figuratively, transitiveTo feel or express enthusiasm for (something).
“The finance sector will cheer this decision.”
Formscheers(plural) · cheers(present, singular, third-person) · cheering(participle, present) · cheered(participle, past) · cheered(past)
Source: Wiktionary