cheerfulness

cheer·ful·ness
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US/ˈt͡ʃɪɹfəlnəs/UK/ˈt͡ʃɪəfəlnəs/

noun

The state of being cheerful; joy.

Similar
gleejollityblithenessblithesomenesscheerinesscontentnesscontentednessdelight
Opposite
uncheerfulnesscheerlessness
OriginMiddle English cherefulnes →
UncommonScrabble 20
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Meanings

nouncheerfulness (usually uncountable, plural cheerfulnesses)

plural cheerfulnesses · alternative obsolete chearfulness

  1. uncountableusuallyThe state of being cheerful; joy.

    Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giueth, let him doe it with simplicitie: hee that ruleth, with diligence: hee that sheweth mercy, with cheerefulnesse.

    1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Romans 12:8
    1 more example

    The banded ones were all dressed in white gowns - a gay survival from Old Style days, when cheerfulness and May-time were synonyms - days before the habit of taking long views had reduced emotions to a monotonous average.

    1891, Thomas Hardy, Tess of the d'Urbervilles, volume 1, London: James R. Osgood, McIlvaine and Co., page 16

    Synonyms: glee, jollity, blitheness, blithesomeness, cheeriness, contentness, contentedness, delight

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe state of being cheerful; joy.

Similar
gleejollityblithenessblithesomenesscheerinesscontentnesscontentednessdelightdelightednesselatednesselationexuberanceexuberantnessfelicitygaietygaynessgayfulnessgladnessgladsomeness

More synonyms by meaning

nounthe quality of being cheerful and dispelling gloom

Similar
cheersunninesssunshine
Opposite
uncheerfulness
Broader
attribute

nouna feeling of spontaneous good spirits

Similar
blitheness
Opposite
cheerlessness
Broader
happiness
Also see
blithenessblithesomenesscheercheerinesscontentednesscontentnessdelightdelightednesselatednesselationfelicitygaietygayfulnessgaynessgladnessgladsomenessgleegleefulnessgleesomenesshappinesshigh spiritshilarityjollinessjollityjovialityjovialnessjoyjoyfulnessjoyousnesslightheartednesslissmerrinessmirthmirthfulnesspleasednesssunninesssunshine

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Middle Englishcherefulnes
  2. Englishcheerfulness

From Middle English cherefulnes; equivalent to cheerful + -ness.

More words from Middle English

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek εὐθυμία
  • εὐθυμία (euthumía)the state of being cheerful; joy
Bulgarian жизнерадост
  • жизнерадост (žizneradost)the state of being cheerful; joy
Czech veselost, radost
  • veselostthe state of being cheerful; joy
  • radostthe state of being cheerful; joy
  • štěstíthe state of being cheerful; joy
Dutch vrolijkheid
  • vrolijkheidthe state of being cheerful; joy
Hindi प्रफुल्लता, खुशमिज़ाजी
  • प्रफुल्लता (praphullatā)the state of being cheerful; joy
  • खुशमिज़ाजी (khuśmizājī)the state of being cheerful; joy
Irish spéiriúlacht
  • spéiriúlachtthe state of being cheerful; joy
Latin hilaritas
  • hilaritasthe state of being cheerful; joy
Latvian jautrība
  • jautrībathe state of being cheerful; joy
Romanian veselie
  • veseliethe state of being cheerful; joy
Russian жизнерадостность
  • жизнерадостность (žizneradostnostʹ)the state of being cheerful; joy
Swahili ukunjufu
  • ukunjufuthe state of being cheerful; joy
Cite this entry
APA

cheerfulness. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cheerfulness

MLA

“cheerfulness.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cheerfulness. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cheerfulness,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cheerfulness.

Source: cheerfulness on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.