What does cheero mean?
Cheero is an informal British exclamation used to say goodbye or to wish someone well before a drink, functioning exactly like its more familiar variant "cheerio." It emerged as popular slang in the early twentieth century, appearing in casual speech, letters, and comic writing of the period. As a noun, cheero can also mean cheerfulness or high spirits, as in describing someone who is "full of cheero." The word belongs to the same family as "cheer" and "cheers," which likewise express good wishes and conviviality. Today cheero sounds distinctly old-fashioned and jocular, evoking mid-century British speech, wartime letters, and music-hall comedy rather than everyday conversation. Learners encountering it will most often find it in older fiction or nostalgic writing, where it signals warmth, familiarity, and a lighthearted tone. In modern usage, most speakers would reach for "cheerio" or simply "cheers" instead, but cheero remains a charming relic of colloquial British English worth recognizing on sight.
Used to express farewell or good wishes, especially informally; also said before drinking as a toast.
""Cheero! I'm off to catch my train," he called over his shoulder."
Chiefly British, informal, and now somewhat dated; "cheerio" is the more common variant.
(Dated, informal) Cheerfulness; high spirits.
"Despite the rain and the long march, the scouts kept up their cheero throughout."
Rare; the noun sense is itself uncommon and mostly found in older informal writing.
"His letters were always full of cheeros and jokes."
Before "cheerio" became Britain's signature goodbye, "cheero" was already being shouted across pubs and streets in the early 20th century — one of those words that feels invented by a cartoonist but was genuinely common slang.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cheero
Cheero derives from "cheer," which traces back through Old French "chiere" (originally meaning face or countenance, hence one's mood) to Late Latin "cara" (face). The exclamation arose as a shortened, jocular form alongside "cheerio," becoming widespread in British slang in the early twentieth century as both a farewell and a drinking salutation. Its cognates include the broader "cheer" word family: cheerful, cheery, and the toast "cheers."
How cheero is actually used
Strongly informal, colloquial, and now somewhat dated; it carries an old-fashioned, jocular British flavor. Almost never used in formal writing. The variant spelling "cheerio" is considerably more common today.
Easily confused with cheero
Cheerio is the far more common spelling and form; cheero is simply a variant of it with identical meanings.