Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

cheerio

American  
[cheer-ee-oh, cheer-ee-oh] / ˈtʃɪər iˌoʊ, ˌtʃɪər iˈoʊ /

interjection

  1. goodbye; goodbye and good luck.

  2. (formerly used as a toast to one's drinking companions.)

noun

plural

cheerios

  1. a goodbye or farewell.

  2. Older Use. a toast of “cheerio!”

cheerio British  
/ ˌtʃɪərɪˈəʊ /

  1. a farewell greeting

  2. a drinking toast

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a type of small sausage

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of cheerio

First recorded in 1905–10; cheero; source of -i- is unclear

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Ta and cheerio — and have a great night.”

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 24, 2023

"I'm so busy I could scream. 3,000 letters to answer at least. So I'll say cheerio for now."

From BBC • Aug. 14, 2023

Rule Brittania, pip pip, cheerio and all that!

From New York Times • Jul. 10, 2016

Have a bunch of Britishisms ready for when the American accent mockery starts: “I say, cheerio and bollocks to that, mate!”

From Slate • Jun. 3, 2015

"Hello, old thing, cheerio and all the rest of it," Huntsman whinnied lovingly.

From Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 153, October 24, 1917 by Various

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.