cheery
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of cheery
Explanation
Something that's cheery makes you feel happy. A cheery summer day is sunny and bright. It's always fun to spend time with a cheery friend, one who is positive and happy, or to participate in some cheery activity, like watching a funny movie or having a picnic. Cheery things do exactly what they sound like — they cheer you up. You can also use cheerful to mean the same thing, and both words are rooted in cheer, from the Anglo-French chere, "the face," with its Greek root kara, "head."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Describing Scolyer as a "cheery, down-to-earth, lad from Launceston" and a brilliant, internationally recognised scientist, he said: "He will be remembered as a truly great Australian."
From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026
Wall Street didn’t agree with that cheery assessment.
From Barron's • Apr. 17, 2026
Patricia Eddings, an expert in trace evidence, is short, with fiery red hair and a cheery Mississippi drawl.
From Slate • Apr. 6, 2026
Though he takes a minute to upbraid her, they’re obviously the show’s binary system, and Decker is in any case a cheery sort who takes things in stride — even prison, seemingly.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026
“I’m sure people are still working,” Isa said in her falsely cheery voice.
From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
