cheerleader

noun

cheer·​lead·​er ˈchir-ˌlē-dər How to pronounce cheerleader (audio)
Synonyms of cheerleadernext
: one that calls for and directs organized cheering (as at a football game)
cheerlead
ˈchir-ˌlēd How to pronounce cheerleader (audio)
verb, transitive + intransitive
cheerleading
ˈchir-ˌlē-diŋ How to pronounce cheerleader (audio)
noun

Examples of cheerleader in a Sentence

a politician who is a cheerleader for the government's new economic plan
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Lock is maybe 3 years old in one of them, sitting with cheerleaders, sporting closer to a buzz cut than the shaggy hair that would become something of his signature in high school and college. — Sam McDowell 9, Kansas City Star, 9 Oct. 2026 The production is expected to include roughly 30 TCU cheerleaders. — David Hookstead Outkick, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026 The cheerleaders claim they were subjected to racist remarks and blocked from passing Lutheran's student section during the game in Parker. — Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026 In addition, nearly 30 TCU cheerleaders will also take part in the production in a storyline surrounding Michelle Randolph’s character Ainsley Norris. — Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cheerleader

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cheerleader was in 1896

Browse Nearby Words

cheerlead
cheerleader
cheerless
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cheerleader.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cheerleader. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

cheerleader

noun
cheer·​lead·​er ˈchi(ə)r-ˌlēd-ər How to pronounce cheerleader (audio)
: a person who leads organized cheering (as at a football or basketball game)
cheerlead
-ˌlēd How to pronounce cheerleader (audio)
verb
cheerleading
-ˌlē-diŋ How to pronounce cheerleader (audio)
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on cheerleader

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