cheerful

[cheer-fuhl] / ˈtʃɪər fəl /

ADJECTIVE

happy

Synonyms

STRONGEST

animated bright buoyant cheery chipper chirpy effervescent enthusiastic good-natured happy jaunty jolly joyful lighthearted lively merry optimistic peppy perky pleasant rosy sanguine sunny upbeat

WEAK

airy blithe bouncy bucked contented enlivening full of pep gay glad gladsome good-humored hearty high hilarious hopeful in good spirits in high spirits jocund roseate snappy sparkling sprightly up vivacious winsome zappy zingy zippy

Antonyms

STRONGEST

apathetic cloudy depressed depressing down dull gloomy heavy-hearted hopeless inactive lethargic lifeless not happy pale pessimistic sad serious sorrowful unenthusiastic unhappy upset

WEAK

cheerless grave heavy melancholy

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.

And it turns out that there was something deeper going on—something that none of the cheerful messages around breastfeeding warned me about.

From Slate • Mar. 15, 2026

I’ve watched cheerful “come with me to get a…DEXA scan!” videos on Instagram, followed by 20-somethings dissecting their results.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

The star, who shot to fame as a child actor on The Wire in the early 2000s, has plenty to be cheerful about.

From BBC • Feb. 11, 2026

Making "Year of the Horse" stuffed toys in a workshop, an employee accidentally stitched the festive foal's mouth on upside-down -- turning its cheerful expression into a gloomy frown.

From Barron's • Feb. 5, 2026

She swallowed hard and tried to sound brave and cheerful.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

cheerful

Example Sentences

Related Words