Cheering someone up
Sometimes other people around us feel a bit down or unhappy about something.
Here are ten phrases you can use to try to make them feel better.
Ten ways to cheer someone up
casual · neutral · formal
- Cheer up!/Chin up!casualChin up! You'll pass next time.
- Smile!casualSmile! It's your birthday.
- It's not the end of the world.casualYou missed the bus, but it's not the end of the world.
- Worse things happen at sea.casualYou lost your pen? Worse things happen at sea.
- Look on the bright side...neutralLook on the bright side: now you have more free time.
- Every cloud (has a silver lining).neutralYou didn't get the job, but every cloud has a silver lining.
- Practice makes perfect.neutralYour English is getting better. Practice makes perfect.
- There are plenty more fish in the sea.casualShe left you? There are plenty more fish in the sea.
- Lighten up!casualIt was only a joke. Lighten up!
- There's no use crying over spilt milk.neutralThe milk tea is spilled. There's no use crying over spilt milk.
How to use them
- are informal and can be used when someone looks unhappy.
- are well-known sayings which can be used to console someone who feels that things are very bad. They should probably not be used if things really are very bad.
- are suggesting that the other person should try to see the positive side of the situation.
- is used to encourage and cheer up a person who is finding something difficult or feeling frustrated about not being able to do something.
- is used specifically to cheer up somebody who has just finished a relationship. The speaker is trying to encourage them to look for a new partner.
- can seem less sympathetic and suggest that the person needs to forget what has happened and move on.
Quick check
Tap an answer. Nothing is saved.
Your friend broke up with their partner. Which phrase fits?
"There's no use crying over spilt milk" means:
Which phrase could sound unkind to someone who is really sad?
See also: Encouraging someone · Reassuring someone · Showing concern
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