/ tʃɪə(r); NAmE tʃɪr/ noun , verb
■ noun
1.
[ C ] a shout of joy, support or praise :
A great cheer went up from the crowd.
cheers of encouragement
Three cheers for the winners! (= used when you are asking a group of people to cheer three times, in order to congratulate sb, etc.)
OPP boo
2.
[ C ] ( NAmE ) a special song or poem used by cheerleaders
3.
[ U ] ( formal or literary ) an atmosphere of happiness
■ verb
1.
to shout loudly, to show support or praise for sb, or to give them encouragement :
[ v ]
We all cheered as the team came on to the field.
Cheering crowds greeted their arrival.
[ vn ]
The crowd cheered the President as he drove slowly by.
OPP boo
2.
[ vn ] [ usually passive ] to give hope, comfort or encouragement to sb :
She was cheered by the news from home.
► cheer·ing noun [ U ]:
He came on stage amid clapping and cheering.
► cheer·ing adjective :
The results of the test were very cheering.
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PHRASAL VERBS
- cheer sb on
- cheer up | cheer sb/sth up
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : from Old French chiere face, from late Latin cara , from Greek kara head. The original sense was face , hence expression, mood , later specifically a good mood .