CHEERFUL Synonyms: 118 Similar and Opposite Words

cheerful

adjective

ˈchir-fəl

Definition of cheerful

as in bright

having or showing a good mood or disposition a cheerful person who is always fun to work with and a pleasure to be around

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in cheery

serving to lift one's spirits a hospital with sunny, cheerful rooms that are designed to make a patient's stay as pleasant as possible

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of cheerful Though the small living movement is trending toward larger and more luxurious homes in general, there are still cheap and cheerful tiny houses out there. — New Atlas, 23 Sep. 2026 Peter Max, whose cheerful graphic images helped define 1960s hippie and Summer of Love culture, has died at age 88, reports The New York Times. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 17 Sep. 2026 But poll respondents weren’t particularly cheerful about the ideas of Democrats either, or of Democratic Socialists, who have been much in the news of late. — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 16 Sep. 2026 These cheerful little flowers are also identifiable by their bright yellow centers, providing a beautiful contrast with their petals. — Kate McKenna Published, The Spruce, 15 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cheerful

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cheerful

Adjective

The skies over England were bright with auroras on October 18, 1848, as the Sun was entering a more active phase in its solar cycle.

— Mike McRae October 15, New Atlas, 16 Oct. 2026
Skies of bright October blue pave the way for not-so-distant November gray.

— Dana Kelley, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of bright

Adjective

That cheery aura is felt through the café’s bright white interiors and warm yellow accents.

— Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 14 Oct. 2026
These cheery yellow flowers produce a thin, needlelike seed that is rich with oil and dense with nutrients that towhees, nuthatches, cardinals and even robins adore into January.

— Karen Hugg, Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of cheery

Adjective

Still, Musk has a track record of setting optimistic release targets for Tesla products, only to miss them by years.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
Yet Europe’s founders and investors see good reason to be optimistic – as long as EU leaders take further action, fast.

— Sophie Dembinski, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of optimistic

Adjective

The Olympia, Washington songwriter known for underground rap production pivots to sunny, nostalgic power-pop with distinct affection for the college-rock era.

— Jeff Yerger, Pitchfork, 19 Oct. 2026
The sunny front porch, which overlooks a community fountain and gazebo on a stretch of land that replicates a New England town green, only adds to its appeal.

— James Alexander, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of sunny

Adjective

Safran was upbeat too in detailing where Watkins’ film fits in on the roster.

— Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026
Mariachi music fills the room as violins, trumpets, the guitarrón, and a stringed instrument called the vihuela launch into an upbeat melody.

— Jessica Hill, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of upbeat

Adjective

Women in black hijabs and abayas, many wearing badges depicting Zahra’s smiling face, lined the streets as men prayed over her casket, placed outside the Husseiniya, a Shiite hall.

— Rania Abouzeid, New Yorker, 21 May 2026
As Thomas’ parents, Katina Smith and Bobby Thomas, unveiled their son’s smiling statue in the Broncos’ Ring of Fame Plaza last Sunday, as scores of his former teammates looked on in sadness and joy, Miller was 800 miles away in Dallas, gearing up for a game against the Cowboys.

— Luca Evans, Denver Post, 24 Oct. 2025

Definition of smiling

Adjective

The story is told from the perspective of infant twins with divergent personalities—Rose is unguardedly buoyant, whereas Marigold is watchful and introspective.

— Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
The Dutch semiconductor equipment maker said that some of its customers are expressing interest in placing orders for its critical semiconductor tools for 2029 and 2030 as AI demand remains buoyant.

— Justina Lee, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of buoyant

Browse Nearby Words

cheered (up)

cheerful

cheerfully

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Cheerful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cheerful. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of cheerful

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

jilt

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes