Meanings
- obsoleteuncountableObsolete form of cheerfulness.
“Come, come,” ſaid Madame D’Alberg, forcing an appearance of chearfulneſs which ſhe was far from feeling; […]
1794, Charlotte Smith, chapter IV, in The Banished Man. […], volume I, London: […] T[homas] Cadell, Jun. and W[illiam] Davies, (successors to Mr. [Thomas] Cadell) […], →OCLC, page 762 more examples
The Sun to the Terms of Mercury. It inclineth the native to be Mercurial, given to ſtudy Arts and Sciences, and to delight in reading, and to follow his Calling with chearfulneſs.
1682, Joseph Blagrave, “[The Effects of Directions.] The Sun Directed unto Promittors.”, in Obadiah Blagrave, editor, Blagrave’s Introduction to Astrology. In Three Parts. […], London: Printed by E. Tyler, and R. Holt, for Obadiah Blagrave, […], →OCLC, part III, page 254Nature has made ſorrow and grief the companions of age, and beſtowed chearfulneſs on youth, to prepare it for the ſufferings of declining years. I never knew chearfulneſs.—My enjoyments have been the hard fare of a common ſoldier, and the ſeverity of the ſerjeant into the bargain.
1798, Augustus von Kotzebue, translated by Stephen Porter, Lovers’ Vows, or, The Child of Love. […], London: […] J. Parsons, […], page 82
Origin
Cite this entry
chearfulness. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chearfulness
“chearfulness.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chearfulness. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “chearfulness,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chearfulness.
Source: chearfulness on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.