cheer up

become happier, or make someone feel happier

B1

What does "cheer (sb) up" mean?

To cheer up means to go from feeling sad or low to feeling happier, or to do something that makes another person feel better. You can use it in two ways: to describe your own mood improving ('She cheered up when she heard the good news') or to describe what someone does to help another person feel better ('He bought her a coffee to cheer her up'). It often involves a specific action — like telling a joke, giving a gift, or spending time with someone — that causes an immediate emotional lift. It is a very natural, everyday expression used by people of all ages in conversation and informal messages. The imperative 'Cheer up!' is also very common, though it is worth being careful, as it can sound a little unsympathetic if the person is very upset.

Examples

How to use it

cheer up (no object)

Used without an object when describing someone becoming happier on their own.

He cheered up as soon as his friends arrived.

cheer + pronoun + up

When the object is a pronoun, it must always go between 'cheer' and 'up' — this is not optional.

She was feeling low, so I called her to cheer her up.

cheer up + person

When the object is a noun, it can follow 'up' directly, which is common in everyday speech.

They organised a little party to cheer up their colleague.

try to cheer + object + up

Commonly used with verbs like 'try' or 'manage' to describe an attempt to improve someone's mood.

I tried to cheer him up with a funny video, but it didn't really work.

be cheered up (by something)

The passive form is natural when focusing on the person whose mood improved.

She was really cheered up by the kind messages she received from her team.

Common Collocations

cheer up a friendcheer someone up with flowerstry to cheer someone upcheer up after bad newscheer up the roominstantly cheer someone up

Common Mistakes

Pronoun after the particle

When the object is a pronoun like 'him', 'her', or 'them', it must go between 'cheer' and 'up'. Placing it after 'up' is ungrammatical.

✗ I wanted to cheer up her after the bad news.
✓ I wanted to cheer her up after the bad news.
Confusing 'cheer up' with 'cheer on'

'Cheer on' means to encourage someone during a race, game, or performance. 'Cheer up' is specifically about lifting someone's mood when they are sad — it has nothing to do with competitions.

✗ All the fans were cheering up the team during the match.
✓ All the fans were cheering on the team during the match.

Usage

This phrasal verb is neutral and works in both spoken and informal written English. The imperative 'Cheer up!' is very common in everyday speech, but use it carefully as it can sound unsympathetic if someone is very upset.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can 'cheer up' be used without an object?

Yes — and this is very common. When used without an object, 'cheer up' describes someone's mood improving on its own, for example 'She cheered up after lunch.' Both the transitive form (making someone else feel better) and the intransitive form (becoming happier yourself) are used equally often.

Is 'Cheer up!' rude to say?

Not exactly rude, but it can come across as dismissive if someone is really upset, because it might seem like you are not taking their feelings seriously. It works best in lighter situations or when paired with something kind, like 'Cheer up — I'll buy you a coffee!'

Can objects or events 'cheer someone up', or only people?

Both are completely natural. A joke, a gift, good news, or even a sunny day can cheer someone up. For example: 'The flowers really cheered her up' or 'Hearing that song always cheers me up.'

Can 'cheer up' describe a slow improvement in mood over time?

Not really — 'cheer up' usually describes a more immediate or specific emotional lift, often caused by something in particular. For a gradual improvement over time, expressions like 'things picked up' or 'her mood improved slowly' sound more natural.

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