cheer someone up
/tʃɪər ˈsʌmwʌn ʌp/
Meaning
This expression means to make someone feel happier, more hopeful, or less sad when they are going through a difficult time. It is a warm, empathetic phrase used frequently among friends, family, and partners.
Examples
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I bought her some flowers to try and cheer her up.
I bought her some flowers to try and cheer her up.
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A funny movie always manages to cheer me up when I'm feeling down.
A funny movie always manages to cheer me up when I'm feeling down.
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He was sad about the exam, so we took him out for pizza to cheer him up.
He was sad about the exam, so we took him out for pizza to cheer him up.
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She tried to cheer up her brother with a silly joke.
She tried to cheer up her brother with a silly joke.
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Nothing could cheer him up after his dog passed away.
Nothing could cheer him up after his dog passed away.
Common Mistakes
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✗ I tried to cheer up him with some chocolate.
✓ I tried to cheer him up with some chocolate.
When the object is a pronoun (him, her, me, them), it must go between 'cheer' and 'up'.
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✗ She was sad, so I cheered up her.
✓ She was sad, so I cheered her up.
Pronoun objects must split this separable phrasal verb.
Related Expressions
Practice
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I brought some ice cream to ___ after her bad day.
💡 Make her feel happier.
Show answer
cheer her up
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He's feeling a bit down, so let's try to ___.
💡 Make him feel better.
Show answer
cheer him up