Cheerier

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. A person displaying an increased level of happiness tends to be more animated
2. Someone who shows a higher degree of optimism can be considered more vibrant
3. Feeling or appearing noticeably more joyful and lighthearted than before

Etymology: "Cheerier" is simply the comparative of "cheery," so it means "more cheery," or happier in mood. The adjective "cheery" comes from Middle English "cheri," formed from the noun "cheer" with the suffix "-y," which turns a noun into an adjective meaning "characterized by" that thing. Cheer itself came into English from Old French "chiere," meaning "face" or "countenance," so a cheery person was, in origin, one with a bright-looking face. The comparative follows the regular pattern for adjectives ending in "-y": the "y" changes to "i" before "-er," giving "cheerier" rather than "cheeryer." Because the word is built from a noun plus a suffix, its history is plain, and its comparative is no more than a regular grammatical form of that adjective.

Synonyms: happier, more joyful, brighter

Antonyms: sadder, gloomier, more miserable