• (Received Pronunciation, General Australian) IPA^(key): /t͡ʃɪə̯/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /t͡ʃɪɹ/

  • Audio (US):

    (file)

• (New Zealand) IPA^(key): /t͡ʃiə/
• (Scotland) IPA^(key): /t͡ʃiːɹ/
• (East Anglia, cheer–chair merger) IPA^(key): /t͡ʃɛː/
• Rhymes: -ɪə(ɹ)
• Homophones: chair (cheer–chair merger), chare (cheer–chair merger)

From 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”).

cheer (countable and uncountable, plural cheers)

1. (uncountable) A cheerful attitude; happiness; a good, happy, or positive mood. [from 14th c.]
   • c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third:[…]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies[…] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii]:

     I have not that alacrity of spirit, / Nor cheer of mind, that I was wont to have.

2. (now uncountable) That which promotes good spirits or cheerfulness, especially food and entertainment prepared for a festive occasion.

   a table loaded with good cheer

   • 1828, James Hogg, Mary Burnet:

     "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 Moffat, and my auld wife shall gang foot for foot with us too. I tell you, little, blessed, and welcome crile, come along with me."

   • 1921, Ben Travers, chapter 1, in A Cuckoo in the Nest, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1925, →OCLC:

     “[…]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 good cheer, / With lashings of food and great hogsheads of beer.[…].”

3. (countable) A cry expressing joy, approval or support, such as "hurrah". [from 18th c.]

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:applause

   Antonym: boo

   Three cheers for the birthday boy!

   A cheer rose from the crowd.

   • 1864, Alfred Tennyson, “A Welcome to Alexandria. March 7, 1863.”, in Enoch Arden, &c., London: Edward Moxon & Co.,[…], →OCLC, page 164:

     Welcome her, thunders of fort and of fleet! / Welcome her, thundering cheer of the street!

4. (countable) A chant made in support of a team at a sports event.
5. (obsolete) One's facial expression or countenance. [13th–19th c.]
   • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, “viij”, in Le Morte Darthur, book XIII:

     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

   • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 50, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes[…], book I, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount[…], →OCLC:

     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 blubbered eyes.

   • 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book V, Canto VII”, in The Faerie Queene.[…], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

     ‘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.’

6. (archaic) One's attitude, mood. [from 14th c.]
   • 1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt[…] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Mark:

     And anon he talked with them, and sayde unto them: be of good chere, it is I, be not afrayed.

   • 1659, T[itus] Livius [i.e., Livy], “(please specify the book number)”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Romane Historie[…], London: […] W. Hunt, for George Sawbridge,[…], →OCLC:

     The parents […] fled away with heavy cheer.

cheer (third-person singular simple present cheers, present participle cheering, simple past and past participle cheered)

1. (transitive) To gladden; to make cheerful; often with up.

   Synonyms: cheer up, upcheer; see also Thesaurus:gladden

   We were cheered by the offer of a cup of tea.

   • 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto XXXIX”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon,[…], →OCLC, page 61:

     ⁠How often shall her old fireside
     ⁠Be cheer’d with tidings of the bride,
     How often she herself return, […]

2. (transitive) To infuse life, courage, animation, or hope, into; to inspirit; to solace or comfort.

   Synonyms: comfort, solace; see also Thesaurus:comfort, Thesaurus:enliven

   • 1700, [John] Dryden, “The Character of a Good Parson; Imitated from Chaucer, and Inlarg’d”, in Fables Ancient and Modern;[…], London: […] Jacob Tonson,[…], →OCLC:

     The proud he tam'd, the penitent he cheer'd.

3. (transitive, obsolete) To encourage to do something.

   Synonyms: goad, stir up; see also Thesaurus:incite

   • c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part[…], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones,[…], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act II, scene vi:

     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.

4. (ambitransitive) To applaud or encourage with cheers or shouts.

   Synonyms: beclap, cheer on, encheer, hurrah, hurray, huzzah; see also Thesaurus:cheer

   Antonyms: boo, jeer; see also Thesaurus:sneer

   The crowd cheered in support of the athletes.

   The crowd cheered the athletes.

5. (transitive, figurative) To feel or express enthusiasm for (something).

   Synonyms: hail, salute

   The finance sector will cheer this decision.

Clipping of cheerleading.

cheer (uncountable)

1. (chiefly Canada, US) Cheerleading, 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.

   • 1999, Jim Lord, Chris Calvert., Cheerleading: Where Does Your Gym Fit In?‎^[1]:

     ...[P]erspective [sic] gym cheer programs must address how to support a cheer program while maintaining appropriate and safe skill progressions.

   • 2000, Linda Villarosa. Cheerleading Changes, and Injuries Increase in The New York Times.

     Last year, more than 75,000 high school participants took part in cheerleading competitions, and the National Federation of State High School Associations says that "competitive cheer" is the fastest growing sport for girls.

   • 2018, Chad Thompson. Iowa Central cheer team is tops at national competition in The Messenger.

     The Iowa Central Community College cheer team has achieved something no other college in Iowa has before.

• cheer squad

cheer (plural cheers)

1. Pronunciation spelling of chair.
   • [1869?], Thomas J[ohn] Williams, A Terrible Tinker! A Farce in One Act (French’s Minor Drama; 320), New York, N.Y.: Samuel French,[…], →OCLC, page 21:

     Well then, I seed a little junewile get on a cheer and smash—

   • 1892 April 11, Julia Truitt Bishop, “No Coward After All”, in Buffalo Evening News, volume XXIII, number 154, Buffalo, N.Y., →OCLC, page 3, column 2:

     “I’ll just take that there soup-bowl,” he remarked. “Mount up on a cheer, little gal, an’ hand it down to me.”

   • 1904, Gertrude Jekyll, “Old Country Folk—Their Ways of Speech”, in Old West Surrey: Some Notes and Memories, London; New York, N.Y.; Bombay: Longmans, Green, and Co.[…], →OCLC, page 220:

     ‘Stand on a cheer, Gooerge, ye’ll have moor might,’ said an old father, when his son was trying to pull a nail out of a beam at arm’s length.

• cheer pheasant

• Erech, reech