cheerful

adjective

ˈchir-fəl How to pronounce cheerful (audio)
Definition of cheerfulnext
1
as in bright
having or showing a good mood or disposition a cheerful person who is always fun to work with and a pleasure to be around

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cheery
serving to lift one's spirits a hospital with sunny, cheerful rooms that are designed to make a patient's stay as pleasant as possible

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of cheerful Peter Max, whose cheerful graphic images helped define 1960s hippie and Summer of Love culture, has died at age 88, reports The New York Times. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 17 Sep. 2026 But poll respondents weren’t particularly cheerful about the ideas of Democrats either, or of Democratic Socialists, who have been much in the news of late. — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 16 Sep. 2026 These cheerful little flowers are also identifiable by their bright yellow centers, providing a beautiful contrast with their petals. — Kate McKenna Published, The Spruce, 15 Sep. 2026 Aconites form a carpet of cheerful yellow flowers and lacey green foliage just a few inches above the ground. — Paul Cappeillo, Louisville Courier Journal, 11 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cheerful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cheerful
  1. bright
  2. cheery
  3. optimistic
  4. sunny
  5. upbeat
  6. smiling
  7. buoyant
Adjective
  • The shoe features a bright Hot Punch/Neo Pink colorway, which translates to a pink gradient fade across the sneaker’s signature Opticast upper.
    — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Micron’s bright outlook Micron delivered another blowout quarter Wednesday, but the bigger takeaway was management’s outlook on the supply-demand imbalance and the prospect for a powerful stock buyback.
    — Alexa LoMonaco,Jeff Nash, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of bright
Adjective
  • Longtime teammate Francisco Lindor — who is also sitting on 299 homers — then shared a cheery exchange with Alonso at first base after a first-inning walk.
    — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Paint a bookcase, frame your windows or an entire room in the cheery shade by applying it to trim, welcome guests with it on your front door, or color-drench a whole room to give its architectural details a modern feel.
    — Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of cheery
Adjective
  • She’s mentored by Jae (Major Curda), a member of Ellora’s municipal Bending Brigade, and his captain Karthik (Akshay Khanna), who has a more optimistic view of the Avatar’s potential than those that blame her for ending the world.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Zhang plays optimistic puzzle master Florence, and Sula is Conrad’s estranged daughter and criminal psychologist Astrid.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of optimistic
Adjective
  • On rainy days and sunny days alike, this is a worthwhile place to come nerd out.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Oct. 2026
  • That is why an e-reader can be remarkably comfortable to use outdoors on a sunny day while a conventional display may become harder to see.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of sunny
Adjective
  • Across Europe, where the Paramount chief David Ellison has spent time courting support for his vision of building a Hollywood colossus, the mood is surprisingly upbeat.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Beneath its upbeat production, the lyrics offer a clever reminder that accountability is rarely one-sided.
    — qygwork, Billboard, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of upbeat
Adjective
  • Women in black hijabs and abayas, many wearing badges depicting Zahra’s smiling face, lined the streets as men prayed over her casket, placed outside the Husseiniya, a Shiite hall.
    — Rania Abouzeid, New Yorker, 21 May 2026
  • As Thomas’ parents, Katina Smith and Bobby Thomas, unveiled their son’s smiling statue in the Broncos’ Ring of Fame Plaza last Sunday, as scores of his former teammates looked on in sadness and joy, Miller was 800 miles away in Dallas, gearing up for a game against the Cowboys.
    — Luca Evans, Denver Post, 24 Oct. 2025
Definition of smiling
Adjective
  • In the first installment, most of the kids are buoyant, unaware, their eyes glittering with naïveté.
    — Lauren Jackson, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
  • At Christie’s on Tuesday night, the underbidding activity was buoyant for many European Old Masters and established contemporary Asian artists, from Peter Paul Rubens to Liu Ye, now in his 60s.
    — Hok-hang Cheung, ARTnews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of buoyant

Browse Nearby Words

cheered (up)
cheerful
cheerfully
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Cite this Entry

“Cheerful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cheerful. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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