cheerleader

Everyday

1. A cheerleader is a person, often in a team, who dances, shouts chants and does jumps to encourage a sports team and the crowd. tree →
2. A cheerleader is also anyone who strongly supports and encourages a person or an idea. tree →

In the lessons

Very common in the USA at school football and basketball games; cheerleading is also a competitive sport with stunts and tumbling. In everyday talk «my biggest cheerleader» means the person who always encourages me. Phrases: cheerleading squad, cheerleader uniform, pom-poms, be someone's cheerleader.

Examples

• The cheerleaders waved their pom-poms at the game. tree →
• My sister joined the cheerleading squad at her school. tree →
• The cheerleader was lifted high into the air. tree →
• Grandma is my biggest cheerleader; she comes to every match. tree →
• The cheerleaders shouted, «Go, team, go!» tree →
• Cheerleading takes a lot of strength and practice. tree →
• Our teacher was a cheerleader for the new reading club. tree →

Note

Countable: one cheerleader, two cheerleaders. One word, no hyphen. The activity is «cheerleading». In the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand cheerleaders are less common at school games than in the USA and Canada.