cheer up — make someone happier
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
To do something that helps another person feel happier, especially when they are sad.
Say it like a native
Textbook I bought her flowers in order to improve her low mood.
Native I bought her flowers to cheer her up.
'Cheer someone up' is the everyday verb; 'improve her low mood' is clinical.
Pattern: cheer someone up
In use
- I bought my sister some flowers to cheer her up after her surgery.relationships
- If my friend is feeling sad, I try to cheer them up by telling jokes or taking them out for coffee.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ I tried to cheer up him.
✓ I tried to cheer him up.
With a pronoun, the object goes in the middle: 'cheer him up'.
Common collocations
cheer someone up— him up, you up, the kids, a bit
Don't confuse it
This sense is about helping others, not yourself.
Related
- cheer up (feel happier) — Another meaning of 'cheer up' is 'feel happier'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.