Cheery

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈt͡ʃɪəɹi/

Definitions

1. Exuding a sense of happiness and positivity that affects those around
2. Displaying an uplifting and bright demeanor that can make others feel better
3. Showing a bright and joyful attitude that lifts spirits

Etymology: Cheer once meant something quite different from a bright mood. In Middle English, "chere" referred to the face or countenance, and it came from Old French "chiere," which likely traced back to a Late Latin word for "face," itself borrowed from Greek "kara," meaning head. So to be in good "cheer" originally meant to have a good-looking face, not necessarily a happy one. Over time the sense moved from the face to the expression it wears, and then to the emotional state that expression signals. "Cheer" came to mean gladness, encouragement, or festive spirit, and the adjective formed from it, "cheery," described a person whose manner is bright and warm. The suffix "-y" is the ordinary English ending that turns a noun into a descriptive adjective, as in "showery" or "sandy." Middle English "cheri" thus carries the same arc: a word that began with the face and ended with the feeling it projects onto others.

Synonyms: joyful, cheerful, elated, jovial, happy

Antonyms: sad, miserable, unhappy, gloomy, dejected