cheerfuladj.
/ˈtʃɪəf(ᵿ)l/, U.S. /ˈtʃɪrf(ə)l/ 1. Conducive to happiness, contentment, or good spirits; cheering, comforting, uplifting; spec. (of colours, surroundings, etc.) bright and pleasant.Sometimes overlapping with sense 2b.cheap and cheerful: see cheap adj., adv., and n.2 Additions.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > pleasure > cheerfulness > [adjective] > cheering or suggestive of cheerfulness
comfortative1377
comfortive1377
cheerfula1440
comfortablec1460
cheering1549
sunny1565
sunshine1594
heartsome1596
sprightly1598
livening1605
brightening1642
exhilarating1644
encheering1652
cheery1655
spiriting1671
sunshiny1686
riant1720
sonsy1721
genial1747
cheerfulizing1840
cheer-up1846
enlivening1862
exhilarative1864
exhilarant1866
exhilaratory1871
heartening1895
a1440 in G. G. Perry Relig. Pieces in Prose & Verse (1914) 87 (MED) Graunte vs..in heuen..euer to se þe cherefull visione of thi faire face.
c1475 (c1445) R. Pecock Donet (1921) 2 (MED) Þat he schal resceyue..chereful counfort..his drede and dispeir fer aweie putting.
a1500 tr. La Belle Dame sans Mercy (Cambr.) l. 346 in F. J. Furnivall Polit., Relig., & Love Poems (1903) 93 (MED) Loue..makyth hem to abey his ordynance By cherfull wayes.
1559 W. Baldwin et al. Myrroure for Magistrates Suffolk v. 4 Fortune..Did smile upon me with a chereful light.
1610 G. Fletcher Christs Victorie 12 As when the cheerfull Sunne, elamping wide, Glads all the world.
1626 F. Bacon New Atlantis 5 in Sylua Syluarum The Chambers were handsome and cheerefull Chambers.
a1667 A. Cowley Of Greatness in Ess. in Verse & Prose (1674) 121 A little chearful House.
1702 Clarendon's Hist. Rebellion I. i. 46 He died..of an Apoplexy, after a full and chearful Supper.
1757 E. Burke Philos. Enq. Sublime & Beautiful iv. §15 143 The good effects of more cheerful colours.
1814 W. Wordsworth Excursion ii. 74 Forth we stepped Into the presence of the cheerful light. View more context for this quotation
1855 A. Manning Old Chelsea Bun-house iv. 71 I don't care if I have a cheerful glass with you to improve our acquaintance.
1940 R. Chandler Farewell, my Lovely viii. 54 The sidewalk café..was bright and cheerful inside.
1978 J. B. Keane Lett. of Irish Minister of State 36 What wouldn't I give for a bit of cheerful news.
2006 A. Bidulka Stain of Berry xvii. 248 The yards..were alive with cheerful pots of marigolds and pansies.
2.
a. Full of or expressing good spirits; light-hearted, happy, merry, glad. In later use frequently: spec. jovial or lively in appearance or behaviour.In quot. c1540 perhaps: spirited, bold. Cf. etymological note at cheer v.1
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > pleasure > cheerfulness > [adjective]
blithe971
gladOE
blithemod1065
jollya1350
well begonea1425
well-cheered1435
hearty1440
cheery1448
cheerfula1477
chereful1486
unsweera1500
cheerly1565
riant1567
hilaire1575
light-spirited1581
undistempered1589
comfortablea1593
well-humoured1600
good-humoured1604
rident1609
hoddy1664
chicket1682
mellow1711
blithesome1724
in spirits1747
winsome1787
hilarious1823
resilient1830
blithe-hearted1848
cheero1903
bucked1907
cheerio1918
a1477 Bk. of Curtesye (Oriel 79(2)) (1882) l. 259 The poet seyth howe that the poure borde Men may encrese wyth cherefull wille and worde.
1491 Craft for to Deye for Helthe Mannes Sowle (Caxton) sig. Aviiv Be glad & cherefull in thy herte to do suche dedes.
1535 Bible (Coverdale) Zech. ix. 17 The corne shall make the yonge men chearefull.
c1540 (?a1400) Gest Historiale Destr. Troy (2002) f. 115v Þen Achilles cherfull & his choise cosyn.
1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene i. ii. sig. B3 Chearefull Chaunticlere with his note shrill.
1649 E. Reynolds Israels Prayer (new ed.) Serm. ii. 89 A full, chearfull, and voluntary action.
1650 R. Stapleton tr. F. Strada De Bello Belgico vi. 14 Egmont..soone grew cheerefuller then ever.
1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Pastorals v, in tr. Virgil Wks. 23 With chearful Cries the Woods resound.
1709 J. Addison Tatler No. 192. ⁋4 A chearful Temper joined with Innocence, will make Beauty attractive.
1750 Ld. Chesterfield Let. 18 Jan. in Lett. to Son (1774) I. 545 An open, chearful, but unsmirking countenance.
1753 Compan. to Almanack 20 They commonly express a cheerful disposition to concur with his Majesty in those things he has laid before them.
1814 M. Faraday Diary in P. Day Philosopher's Tree (1999) iii. 46 Such as were determined to be cheerful, in spite of appearances, joined the numbers that were waltzing to the music of itinerant musicians.
1816 J. Austen Emma I. viii. 141 Harriet's cheerful look and manner established her's. View more context for this quotation
1856 R. W. Emerson Eng. Traits viii. 131 As compared with the Americans, I think them [sc. the English] cheerful and contented.
1934 Times 14 July 8/3 Bill G., with a gloriously red face, a bright yellow jersey and cheerful grin.
1989 Woman's Realm 11 Apr. 35/2 She tried to instil a light-heartedness into her voice; a sort of cheerful, conversational tone.
2011 C. E. Lawrence Silent Kills lv. 270 The Rosenbaums were friendly, and always gave a cheerful wave when they happened to see him.
b. Of an event, period of time, etc.: characterized by happiness or good spirits.Sometimes overlapping with sense 1.
ΚΠ
1548 N. Udall et al. tr. Erasmus Paraphr. Newe Test. I. Matt. xxvi. f. cxvi Therfore when that holy and chereful daye was nere, for the keping of which it was mete for menne to prepare themselues with godlye woorkes, the chiefe priestes and seniours of the people wer gathered together.
1658 A. Jackson Annot. Eccles. vi. 49 in Annot. Old Test. Doctrinall Bks. Such a man doth never live one chearful hour in all that time, nor never taketh any true delight or content in any thing.
1727 J. Gay Fables I. xxxi. 105 Nor love, nor honour, wealth, nor power, Can give the heart a chearful hour.
1796 E. Burke Two Lett. Peace Regicide Directory France i. 1 Our last conversation..was far from chearful.
1840 U.S. Mag. & Democratic Rev. May 392 The rest of the evening is spent in music and conversation, and a cheerful day is brought to a cheerful close.
1887 H. Caine Deemster III. xxxix. 167 I doubt not we should have had some cheerful hours together.
1939 R. Moley After Seven Years viii. 312 The sense of regaining the whip hand gave him the first buoyant, cheerful moment he had known for weeks.
2004 D. Lodge Author, Author iii. ii. 260 He's giving supper to the company. It won't be a very cheerful occasion, I fear.
3. Ready, willing; ungrudging. Also: unapologetic, unabashed.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > courage > confidence > cool confidence > [adjective]
unbashful1563
cheerful1600
unapologetic1834
nervy1896
the mind > will > wish or inclination > willingness > [adjective] > ready or prompt
radeOE
rekenOE
ratheOE
freshc1175
gradelyc1275
quickc1300
freea1393
readya1425
promptc1425
forward1523
forwards1598
cheerful1600
alacritous1821
up to ——1849
1600 R. Allen Treasurie of Catechisme 218 A willing and chearfull yeelding of that which is any way due, either to God and his Church, or to the Prince and common-wealth, or to any priuate friend or neighbour.
1642 R. Gardiner Serm. appointed for St. Pauls Crosse 21 Because the Governors load is greater than their honour, that they may be won to a chearefull acceptance.
1710 C. Offley Addr. presented to Her Majesty (single sheet) We shall always pay a Dutiful and cheerful Submission to your Majesty's Government.
1799 A. Seward Orig. Sonnets 172 See she assumes, with cheerful haste, The pleasing cares of wedded life.
1801 Trav. Upper & Lower Egypt by M. Sonnini in W. F. Mavor Hist. Acct. of Celebrated Voy., Trav. & Discov. XXIII. 228 By a cheerful acceptance of them [sc. offers], a stranger infallibly inspires esteem, and is in no danger of being deemed either intrusive or troublesome.
1822 T. De Quincey Confessions Eng. Opium-eater 110 The poor are far more philosophic than the rich... they show a more ready and cheerful submission to what they consider as irremediable evils.
1888 W. Collins Legacy Cain viii. 60 Let him ask himself if he could confront the uncertain future with my cheerful submission and my steadfast hope.
1909 Amer. Motherhood Feb. 108/1 If one who cultivates a cheerful acceptance of a wrong one is forced to share, it may impress upon their children the tendency to yield to sin.
1977 G. F. Newman Detective's Tale 74 Any who did it [sc. investigating complaints] with cheerful willingness usually applied to join A10.
1994 S. Schaffer in M. A. Boden Dimensions of Creativity (1996) ii. 22 Studies of popular declarations on scientific discoveries have progressed from the stage of cheerful endorsement, or mean-minded debunking, to a more considered account of the work.
2016 Daily Tel. (Nexis) 19 Mar. They had an Easter Egg hunt on Easter Day, in the cheerful way that the Church of England mixes pagan and Christian festivals.
Compounds
C1. Complementary, as cheerful-looking, cheerful-sounding, etc.
ΚΠ
1593 T. Lodge Phillis sig. E2v Light-flying foules the posts of night disport them, And cheerfull looking Vesper doth consort them.
1766 J. Gwynn London & Westm. Improved 129 A cheerful looking house, in some measure, contributes to make those who inhabit it so.
1781 R. Potter tr. Euripides Tragedies I. 34 Bacchus is within, Soon he will raise his chearfull-sounding cry.
a1817 J. Austen Northanger Abbey (1818) II. ix. 181 My mother's room is very commodious, is it not? Large and cheerful-looking.
1889 J. K. Jerome Three Men in Boat xviii. 287 The stout old lock-keeper, or his cheerful-looking wife, or bright-eyed daughter, are pleasant folk to have a passing chat with.
1922 Musical Times 63 808/1 Roussel's new compositions called Pour une fête de printemps..left rather a gloomy impression on the listener, as it certainly did not live up to its cheerful-sounding title.
1953 Phi Delta Kappan 35 81/1 We recall the good-looking, healthy, cheerful appearing students at a teachers college.
1985 Proc. Aristotelian Soc. 59 221 The cheerful-seeming theme that launches the main part of that movement.
2010 Private Eye 5 Mar. 9/3 Adverts were still running, featuring a glossy and cheerful-looking Cheryl.
C2. Parasynthetic, as cheerful-faced, cheerful-hearted, cheerful-minded, etc.
ΚΠ
1684 J. Harington Grecian Story iii. 140 Strong proof whereof imparted (Base for their Rank) th' Host, Hostess chearful hearted.
1787 G. Wright Retired Pleasures 158 Wak'd by the gentle gleamings of the morn, Soon clad, the Reaper, provident of want, Hies, chearful-hearted, to the ripen'd field.
1839 Tait's Mag. Feb. 69/1 I have not often met in my life with contented and cheerful-minded women.
1872 O. W. Holmes Poet at Breakfast-table i. 20 Good, wholesome, sound-bodied, sane-minded, cheerful-spirited men.
1913 Fine Arts Jrnl. 29 715/1 Mrs Stacey's ‘Red Fan’ is a simple and excellent portrait of a cheerful-faced woman.
1960 R. Greenwood Stone from Brook i. 22 Cheerful-hearted, he sang softly as the cart rattled down the hill.
2004 M. J. Clark Are you Lonesome Tonight (2009) v. 76 The cheerful voiced receptionist starting her day's work with no cares and no worries in the hotel where my lovely wife and kids are.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2016; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.a1440