Standard Lemma guide

cheerfulness

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American: /ˈt͡ʃɪɹfəlnəs/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈt͡ʃɪəfəlnəs/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: CH IH1 R F AH0 L N AH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The state of being cheerful; joy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: glee, jollity, blitheness, blithesomeness, cheerfulness, cheeriness, contentness, contentedness, delight, delightedness, elatedness, elation, exuberance, exuberantness, felicity, gaiety, gayness, gayfulness, gladness, gladsomeness, gleefulness, gleesomeness, happiness, high spirits, hilarity, jolliness, joviality, jovialness, joy, joyfulness, joyousness, liss, merriment, merriness, mirth, mirthfulness, pleasedness

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

the quality of being cheerful and dispelling gloom

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • flowers added a note of cheerfulness to the drab room

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: cheer, sunniness, sunshine

Antonyms: uncheerfulness

Broader terms: attribute

Narrower terms: good-temperedness, good-humoredness, good-humouredness, good-naturedness

3

noun

Meaning 3

a feeling of spontaneous good spirits

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • his cheerfulness made everyone feel better

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: blitheness

Antonyms: cheerlessness

Broader terms: happiness

Narrower terms: buoyancy, perkiness, carefreeness, insouciance, lightheartedness, lightsomeness

History

Etymology

From Middle English cherefulnes; equivalent to cheerful + -ness.

Across languages

Translations

20 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: жизнерадост (žizneradost) — the state of being cheerful; joy
  • Czech: veselost — the state of being cheerful; joy
  • Czech: radost — the state of being cheerful; joy
  • Czech: štěstí — the state of being cheerful; joy
  • Dutch: vrolijkheid — the state of being cheerful; joy
  • Georgian: ხალისიანობა (xalisianoba) — the state of being cheerful; joy
  • Georgian: სიხალისე (sixalise) — the state of being cheerful; joy
  • Georgian: სიცოცხლის ხალისი (sicocxlis xalisi) — the state of being cheerful; joy
  • Georgian: გულმხიარულობა (gulmxiaruloba) — the state of being cheerful; joy
  • Georgian: მხიარულობა (mxiaruloba) — the state of being cheerful; joy
  • Ancient Greek: εὐθυμία (euthumía) — the state of being cheerful; joy
  • Hindi: प्रफुल्लता (praphullatā) — the state of being cheerful; joy
  • Hindi: खुशमिज़ाजी (khuśmizājī) — the state of being cheerful; joy
  • Irish: spéiriúlacht — the state of being cheerful; joy
  • Latin: hilaritas — the state of being cheerful; joy
  • Latvian: jautrība — the state of being cheerful; joy
  • Macedonian: веселост (veselost) — the state of being cheerful; joy
  • Romanian: veselie — the state of being cheerful; joy
  • Russian: жизнерадостность (žizneradostnostʹ) — the state of being cheerful; joy
  • Swahili: ukunjufu — the state of being cheerful; joy