Cheer up meaning in English
Learn how to use Cheer up correctly with Gymglish.
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Definition
to cheer (someone) up: to make (someone) feel happy; to animate (someone)
Cheer up! It's Friday! That should make you feel better.
Examples
- "It makes you cheer up"
Exercise 1
Susie: I know you didn't make the sale, but don't feel about it
Philip: It's nice of you to cheer me , Susie.
Susie: Of course Philip. The important thing is that you don't give , and that you keep trying to make one more sale.
Philip: Wow, Susie! I can't believe how sweet you are being. What's gotten into you?
Susie: If you make one more sale, Bruno's promised us all a trip south to Acapulco.
Philip: Oh...so you don't really like me as a person?
Susie: Of course not. Now get back to work!
Philip: It's nice of you to cheer me , Susie.
Susie: Of course Philip. The important thing is that you don't give , and that you keep trying to make one more sale.
Philip: Wow, Susie! I can't believe how sweet you are being. What's gotten into you?
Susie: If you make one more sale, Bruno's promised us all a trip south to Acapulco.
Philip: Oh...so you don't really like me as a person?
Susie: Of course not. Now get back to work!
Susie: I know you didn't make the sale, but don't feel down 1 about it
Philip: It's nice of you to cheer me up 2, Susie.
Susie: Of course Philip. The important thing is that you don't give up 3, and that you keep trying to make one more sale.
Philip: Wow, Susie! I can't believe how sweet you are being. What's gotten into you?
Susie: If you make one more sale, Bruno's promised us all a trip down 4 south to Acapulco.
Philip: Oh...so you don't really like me as a person?
Susie: Of course not. Now get back to work!
Philip: It's nice of you to cheer me up 2, Susie.
Susie: Of course Philip. The important thing is that you don't give up 3, and that you keep trying to make one more sale.
Philip: Wow, Susie! I can't believe how sweet you are being. What's gotten into you?
Susie: If you make one more sale, Bruno's promised us all a trip down 4 south to Acapulco.
Philip: Oh...so you don't really like me as a person?
Susie: Of course not. Now get back to work!
1 down: 'To feel down' is to feel depressed or unhappy. 'Down' can be used to indicate movement towards the bottom or ground, both literally and figuratively. Susie is encouraging Philip not to feel bad about his missed sale.
1 up: Although 'up' is grammatically correct here, it does not make any sense given the context of the phrase. Philip would not feel 'up' if he missed the chance to make a sale.
2 up: To 'cheer someone up' is to try to boost or stimulate their morale, or to try to make them feel positive. Here 'up' is used figuratively to indicate the movement or transition of someone's feelings or emotions from a low point to a high point.
2 down: There is no such expression in English.
3 up: 'To give up' means to 'quit' or 'stop' or even to surrender or capitulate. Susie is encouraging Philip to continue making phone calls and to try to sell. 'Don't give up' is synonymous with 'Keep trying' in this context. 'Up' is used here to indicate a sense of completion or finality, or an action ending.
3 down: There is no such expression in English.
4 down: To go 'down south' is to descend (geographically) in a southern direction. 'Down' is used here to indicate movement towards a southern location.
4 up: Going 'up south' is contradictory. It doesn't make sense to use 'up' here.
Exercise 2
Polly: How are you Brian? It’s been such a long time since we’ve seen each other!
Brian: I’m not doing so well. I have been feeling so the past few days.
Polly: Why, what’s going on?
Brian: My boyfriend just broke with me. He said he doesn’t love me anymore.
Polly: I’m so sorry! Why don’t you come over and we can lie on the couch and watch a movie.
Brian: That won't cheer me because I don't care for your couch.
Brian: I’m not doing so well. I have been feeling so the past few days.
Polly: Why, what’s going on?
Brian: My boyfriend just broke with me. He said he doesn’t love me anymore.
Polly: I’m so sorry! Why don’t you come over and we can lie on the couch and watch a movie.
Brian: That won't cheer me because I don't care for your couch.
Polly: How are you Brian? It’s been such a long time since we’ve seen each other!
Brian: I’m not doing so well. I have been feeling so down 1 the past few days.
Polly: Why, what’s going on?
Brian: My boyfriend just broke up 2 with me. He said he doesn’t love me anymore.
Polly: I’m so sorry! Why don’t you come over and we can lie down 3 on the couch and watch a movie.
Brian: That won't cheer me up 4 because I don't care for your couch.
Brian: I’m not doing so well. I have been feeling so down 1 the past few days.
Polly: Why, what’s going on?
Brian: My boyfriend just broke up 2 with me. He said he doesn’t love me anymore.
Polly: I’m so sorry! Why don’t you come over and we can lie down 3 on the couch and watch a movie.
Brian: That won't cheer me up 4 because I don't care for your couch.
1 down: 'To feel down' is to feel depressed or unhappy. 'Down' can be used to indicate movement towards the bottom or ground, both literally and figuratively.
1 up: Although 'up' is grammatically correct here, it does not make any sense given the context of the phrase. Brian would not feel 'up' after saying that she isn’t ‘doing so well’.
2 up: ‘To break up’ is an expression used to indicate the act of ending a relationship.
2 down: While ‘to break down’ is a phrase in English, it doesn’t work here. ‘To break down’ signifies a machine or motor vehicle malfunction, chemical decomposition, or separating an idea or statement into smaller parts in order to make it easier to understand.
3 down: ‘To lie down’ is an expression that describes reclining to a resting or stretched out position, frequently on a bed or sofa. Ex: "I was tired so I lay down to take a nap."
3 up: There is no such expression ‘to lie up’ in English.
4 up: 'To cheer someone up' is to try to boost or stimulate their morale, or to try to make them feel positive. Here 'up' is used figuratively to indicate the movement or transition of someone's feelings or emotions from a low point to a high point.
4 down: There is no such expression in English to ‘cheer someone down’. We might say 'This sad movie always gets me down'.
Exercise 3
Trey asks the caller to "speak up".
Choose the word or phrase which might replace "speak up" in a more informal conversation.
Choose the word or phrase which might replace "speak up" in a more informal conversation.
Trey asks the caller to "speak up".
Choose the word or phrase which might replace "speak up" in a more informal conversation.
Choose the word or phrase which might replace "speak up" in a more informal conversation.
Trey does not ask the caller to "shut up". The imperative command "shut up" is an impolite way to tell someone to stop talking or to be quiet. Trey is a caring and sensitive man and a real "people person". He would never tell someone to "shut up"!
The expression "cheer up" is a request to be "more happy". We often hear "cheer up" when we are sad or in a bad mood. This is not what Trey asks the caller to do here.
The imperative request to "speak up" means "speak more loudly". It can also mean to "talk freely without fear or hesitation". For example: A teacher may say to a child "speak up boy!" if they are speaking incoherently. Trey is finding it hard to hear the caller so he asks him to "speak up". "To shout" is to speak loudly, and in the imperative it can be used to tell someone to "speak up". "Shout" shouldn't be used as a command in a formal conversation.
To "sound off" means to express one's views or opinions vigorously or strongly. Example: The voters sounded off by voting out the incumbent prime minister in the election.
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