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PlainSpell

cheer

UK /t͡ʃɪə/noun, verb

cheer is spelled C-H-E-E-R: 5 letters and one syllable. It appears 11 times per million words in written English, the 6,456th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, cheer means “A cheerful attitude; happiness; a good, happy, or positive mood” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of cheer is cheers.

How many letters and syllables are in cheer?

Letters5: C-H-E-E-R
Syllables1 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing11 times per million words; the 6,456th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search
Rhymes with

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.

How common is cheer?

Cheer appears 11 times per million words in written English, the 6,456th most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce cheer?

  • UK /t͡ʃɪə/
  • British /t͡ʃɪː/
  • British /t͡ʃɪjə/

Cheer has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-cheer.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

What rhymes with cheer?

The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as cheer from its last stressed vowel (/ɪə/, British pronunciation):

Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).

Forms of cheer

  • cheers plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • cheering participle, present
  • cheered participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does cheer mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    A cheerful attitude; happiness; a good, happy, or positive mood.

  2. 2

    That which promotes good spirits or cheerfulness, especially food and entertainment prepared for a festive occasion.

    a table loaded with good cheer

  3. 3

    A cry expressing joy, approval or support, such as "hurrah".

    Three cheers for the birthday boy!

  4. 4

    A chant made in support of a team at a sports event.

  5. 5

    obsoleteOne's facial expression or countenance.

  6. 6

    archaicOne's attitude, mood.

  7. 7

    CanadaUSCheerleading, especially when practiced as a competitive sport.

    Alex participated in cheer all four years of college.

  8. 8

    Pronunciation spelling of chair.

verb

  1. 1

    To gladden; to make cheerful; often with up.

    We were cheered by the offer of a cup of tea.

  2. 2

    To infuse life, courage, animation, or hope, into; to inspirit; to solace or comfort.

  3. 3

    obsoleteTo encourage to do something.

  4. 4

    To applaud or encourage with cheers or shouts.

    The crowd cheered in support of the athletes.

  5. 5

    To feel or express enthusiasm for (something).

    The finance sector will cheer this decision.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Cheer in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Spanishalegría (a cheerful attitude; gaiety), hurra, vítor, víctor, viva (a cry of "hurrah", "hurray", "yeah", or some…), aclamar (to applaud or encourage with cheers or shouts)
GermanJubel, Jauchzer (a cry of "hurrah", "hurray", "yeah", or some…), jubeln (to applaud or encourage with cheers or shouts), aufheitern, erfreuen, aufmuntern (to make cheerful)
Frenchapplaudir, acclamer (to applaud or encourage with cheers or shouts)
Portugueseaclamar (to applaud or encourage with cheers or shouts)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does cheer come from?

From Middle English chere, from Anglo-Norman chere, from Old French chiere (“head, face; appearance; reception, hospitality; meal, dinner, food”) (Modern French chère), from Late Latin cara (“head”).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after cheer