Meanings
verbcheer up (third-person singular simple present cheers up, present participle cheering up, simple past and past participle cheered up)
present singular third person cheers up · participle present cheering up · participle past cheered up · past cheered up
- idiomatictransitiveTo make someone happier or less downcast.
The arrival of the unexpected letter cheered him up almost immediately.
1 more example
Therefore cheere vp your mindes, prepare to fight, He that can take or ſlaughter Tamburlaine, Shall rule the Prouince of Albania.
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 iiSynonyms: cheer, perk up, beatify, enrapture, begladden, blissen, bright, cheer · Antonyms: depress
interjection
- An encouragement to somebody who seems unhappy.
Cheer up! Things could be worse.
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo make someone happier or less downcast.
Similar
Opposite
More synonyms by meaning
verbcause (somebody) to feel happier or more cheerful
Similar
Broader
Also see
beatifybegladdenblissencheercherishchirk upcontentdelightelateelevateenblissenlivenfaingladgladdengladden someone's heartgratifyhappifyhappyheartenjollifyjolly alonglaetificatelight upliven upmake someone's dayperk uppleaseraise someone's spiritsrejoiceturn the frown upside downupcheerwarm someone's heartwarm the cockles of someone's heart
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Basque animatu, animatu
- animatuto become happy
- animatuto make someone happy
Bulgarian ободрявам
- ободрявам (obodrjavam)to make someone happy
Chinese Mandarin 振作, 振作起來 /振作起来
- 振作 (zhènzuò)to become happy
- 振作起來 /振作起来 (zhènzuò qǐlái)to become happy
- 開心點 /开心点an encouragement
Czech pookřát, vzmužit se
- pookřátto become happy
- vzmužit seto become happy
- povzbuditto make someone happy
- hlavu vzhůru!an encouragement
Dutch opfleuren, opkikkeren
- opfleurento become happy
- opkikkerento make someone happy
- kop opan encouragement
Finnish piristyä, ilahtua
- piristyäto become happy
- ilahtuato become happy
- piristääto make someone happy
- ilahduttaato make someone happy
- piristy!an encouragement
French remonter le moral, courage
- remonter le moralto make someone happy
- couragean encouragement
German bessere Laune bekommen, aufheitern
- bessere Laune bekommento become happy
- aufheiternto become happy
- aufmunternto become happy
- fröhlicher stimmento become happy
- aufmunternto make someone happy
- ermunternto make someone happy
- ermutigento make someone happy
- erheiternto make someone happy
- Kopf hoch!an encouragement
Greek χαροποιώ, ενθαρύνω
- χαροποιώ (charopoió)to make someone happy
- ενθαρύνω (entharýno)to make someone happy
- κουράγιο! (kourágio!)an encouragement
Hungarian jókedvre derít, felvidít
- jókedvre derítto make someone happy
- felvidítto make someone happy
- fel a fejjelan encouragement
- ne búsulj/szomorkodjan encouragement
- sebajan encouragement
Italian incoraggiare, sostenere
- incoraggiareto become happy
- sostenereto become happy
- invogliareto become happy
- rallegrarsito become happy
- sollevare il moraleto make someone happy
- rallegrareto make someone happy
- coraggio!an encouragement
- forza!an encouragement
Japanese 勇む, 勇み立つ
- 勇む (isamu)to become happy
- 勇み立つ (isamitatsu)to become happy
- 励ます (hagemasu)to make someone happy
- 元気づける (genki-dzukeru)to make someone happy
- 元気出して！ (genki dashite!)an encouragement
Korean 힘내라!, 기운내라!
- 힘내라! (himnaera!)an encouragement
- 기운내라! (giunnaera!)an encouragement
Latin hilarō, relaxō
- hilarōto make someone happy
- relaxōan encouragement
Māori whakahari
- whakaharito make someone happy
Norwegian muntre opp, muntre opp
- muntre oppto become happy
- muntre oppto make someone happy
- opp med hodetan encouragement
Polish rozchmurzyć się, rozweselić
- rozchmurzyć sięto become happy
- rozweselićto make someone happy
- głowa do góryan encouragement
- uszy do góryan encouragement
- śmiałoan encouragement
- odwagian encouragement
Portuguese animar-se, animar
- animar-seto become happy
- animarto make someone happy
- anime-sean encouragement
Romanian bucura, înveseli
- bucurato become happy
- înveselito become happy
- dispuneto become happy
- haiǃan encouragement
- curajǃan encouragement
- nu te daǃan encouragement
- capul susǃan encouragement
Russian утеша́ться, уте́шиться
- утеша́ться (utešátʹsja)to become happy
- уте́шиться (utéšitʹsja)to become happy
- развесели́ться (razveselítʹsja)to become happy
- воодушевля́ться (vooduševljátʹsja)to become happy
- воодушеви́ться (vooduševítʹsja)to become happy
- ободря́ть (obodrjátʹ)to make someone happy
- ободри́ть (obodrítʹ)to make someone happy
- уте́шить (utéšitʹ)to make someone happy
- развесели́ть (razveselítʹ)to make someone happy
- воодушевля́ть (vooduševljátʹ)to make someone happy
- воодушеви́ть (vooduševítʹ)to make someone happy
- вы́ше го́лову! (výše gólovu!)an encouragement
- не па́дайте ду́хом! (ne pádajte dúxom!)an encouragement
- не па́дай ду́хом! (ne pádaj dúxom!)an encouragement
- не уныва́йте! (ne unyvájte!)an encouragement
- не уныва́й! (ne unyváj!)an encouragement
Spanish animarse, animar
- animarseto become happy
- animarto make someone happy
- alegrarto make someone happy
- beatificarto make someone happy
- ánimoan encouragement
Swedish muntra upp
- muntra uppto make someone happy
Tagalog magsaya, sumaya
- magsayato become happy
- sumayato become happy
- magpasayato make someone happy
Turkish keyiflenmek, neşelenmek
- keyiflenmekto become happy
- neşelenmekto become happy
- keyiflendirmekto make someone happy
- neşelendirmekto make someone happy
Cite this entry
APA
cheer up. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cheer%20up
MLA
“cheer up.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cheer%20up. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cheer up,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cheer%20up.
Source: cheer up on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.