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Everyday English · People & feelings

Cheer up

Become happier, or make someone feel happier.

Someone becomes happier, or something helps them feel happier. It often describes a change after sadness or disappointment.

Plain-English lessonVisual explanation3 practice steps

01 · Picture the situation

Understand it in three steps

01Feeling low
02A kind moment
03Feeling better

Imagine this: Lina feels disappointed after a difficult day. Her friend sends a funny, kind message. Lina smiles. The message cheers her up.

02 · Hear it in everyday life

Examples you can use

Three natural sentences

  1. A short walk usually cheers me up.
  2. He cheered up when his friend arrived.
  3. We tried to cheer Maya up after her difficult day.

A short conversation

PERSON AYou seem happier now.
PERSON BYes. Talking to my friend cheered me up.

Read the conversation aloud. Then swap roles and try it again without looking.

03 · Build your sentence

How to use cheer up

Use cheer up without an object when someone becomes happier. Use cheer someone up when a person or thing helps them: cheer Maya up / cheer her up.

BASE FORMcheer up
PAST SIMPLEcheered up
AFTER HAVE / HAScheered up

The base form is used after can, will and to. The past simple describes a finished past event. The third form follows have or has, for example when connecting an earlier action to now.

A common mistake to avoid

Use thisThe message cheered her up.
Avoid this in this meaningThe message cheered up her.

Her, the person feeling happier, goes between cheered and up.

Do not confuse it: Cheer up is about mood. Calm down is about becoming less worried, angry or excited. A happy person can still need to calm down if they are very excited.

Does it have another meaning?

Telling someone “Cheer up!” can sound dismissive when they are struggling. A supportive question such as “Would you like to talk?” may be kinder.

Learn the meaning and sentence pattern together. Small words such as up and off do not have one fixed meaning in every expression.

04 · Make it stick

Try it for yourself

Choose an answer before opening the explanation. Then make a sentence about your own life.

1. A kind message makes your friend feel happier. It…
  1. cheers them up
  2. turns them off
  3. hands them in
Check answer 1

A. cheers them up

The message improves their mood.

2. The visit really ___.
  1. cheered up me
  2. cheered me up
  3. cheer me yesterday
Check answer 2

B. cheered me up

Use cheered for the past, with me before up.

3. Your turn

What usually cheers you up?

See a possible model and self-check

A short walk usually cheers me up.

This is one model, not the only correct answer. Check that your sentence uses the meaning taught here, the right verb form and the word order above. Change the person, place or time to make it your own.