# cheer up

CEFR B1 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/cheer-up
Updated: 2026-10-22

## Definition

to start feeling happier or to make someone else feel better when they are sad.

For teachers: to become more cheerful or to cause someone to feel happier. The verb functions both intransitively and transitively.

## Examples

- Cheer up, the weekend starts tomorrow.
- We tried to cheer up the children by taking them to the park after the rain stopped.
- The unexpected arrival of her old college friend served to cheer up the patient more effectively than any of the hospital's standard wellness programs.

## Pitfalls

- Not "I tried to cheer up him." but "I tried to cheer him up." — When the object is a pronoun like 'him' or 'her', it must go between 'cheer' and 'up'.

## Usage notes

- When used with a person as the object, it is often separable.
- Teaching tip: Contrast the intransitive use ('He cheered up') with the transitive use ('I cheered him up'), noting that pronouns must come between the verb and particle.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.