Meaning trap
cheer up
make someone happier
To do something that helps another person feel happier, especially when they are sad.
phrasal verbB1common
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
make someone happier
To do something that helps another person feel happier, especially when they are sad.
cheer up (feel happier)
Another meaning of 'cheer up' is 'feel happier'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
- 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
Fix the pattern
Pattern: cheer someone up
WrongI tried to cheer up him.
RightI tried to cheer him up.
With a pronoun, the object goes in the middle: 'cheer him up'.
Patterncheer someone up
Use it right
Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.
'Cheer someone up' is the everyday verb; 'improve her low mood' is clinical.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
cheer someone uphim upyou upthe kidsa 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.