Cheerful

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈt͡ʃɪəfl̩/

Definitions

1. Exhibiting a consistently positive and happy attitude that influences those around
2. Manifesting an uplifting and joyful spirit that creates a favorable atmosphere
3. Displaying a bright and happy disposition that tends to uplift one’s own mood and that of others

Etymology: Long before "cheerful" described a sunny disposition, "cheer" itself meant something quite different: in Middle English it referred to a person's face, or their expression and mood, rather than their happiness. A cheerful person was therefore one whose face or countenance showed a good temper, which is why the word's core idea is visible in its shape: "cheer" plus the suffix "-ful," meaning "full of." The noun "cheer" came into Middle English from Old French "chiere," which meant "face" and ultimately traces back to a Late Latin word for "face" or "head," itself borrowed from Greek "kara," meaning "head." So the surprise is that "cheer" once pointed to the face itself, and gladness was a later extension of that visible expression. The adjective "chereful," the ancestor of "cheerful," was formed by adding "-ful" to that noun, and the form "cherful" appeared alongside it, showing the spelling was still settling.

Synonyms: joyful, happy, bright

Antonyms: sad, miserable, gloomy