cheerleader

[cheer-lee-der] / ˈtʃɪərˌli dər /

NOUN

one who supports and praises

Synonyms

STRONG

champion defender exponent promoter supporter

WEAK

admirer advocate apostle booster friend

Antonyms

STRONGEST

antagonist enemy

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.

Because he was incapable of envy, he was everyone’s biggest cheerleader.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026

BofA Securities became the latest cheerleader on Thursday, as the firm upgraded shares to Buy from Neutral with a $450 price target, up from $420.

From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026

Lilly received an endorsement from an unlikely cheerleader on Thursday: S&P Global Ratings, which upgraded Lilly’s issuer credit rating to AA- from A+ while maintaining a positive outlook.

From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026

No prizes for guessing that France is the loudest nuclear cheerleader.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

Some representative examples: “Oh, my brother-in-law went to school there, too, and my friend’s son cuts the principal’s lawn, and my neighbor’s daughter knows a girl who once was a cheerleader for the school.”

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos