chirk means lively; cheerful; in good spirits. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 93 out of 100.
Why “chirk” is a great word
CHIRK — [Adjective] Possessing a lively, brisk cheerfulness, often one that is freshly summoned or resilient. From Middle English chirken, cherken, charken, from Old English ċearcian ("to chatter, creak, crash"), from Proto-West Germanic *krakōn ("to make a sound, crack"). Unlike "cheerful," which describes a settled state, or "chirp," which denotes a specific avian sound, *chirk* implies an active buoyancy that is almost audible. It is the determined whistle in the gathering dusk, the sudden straightening of a back after a long stoop, or the way an old floorboard answers a footstep with a friendly creak—a testament that spirits, like old wood, can also make a happy sound when they rise.
Etymology
From Middle English chirken, cherken, charken, from Old English ċearcian (“to chatter, creak, crash”), from Proto-West Germanic *krakōn (“to make a sound, crack”). Doublet of chark. Related also to crake, crack.
adj
- lively; cheerful; in good spirits
name
- A small town and community with a town council in Wrexham borough county borough, Wales (OS grid ref SJ2937).
verb
- To become happier.
- To make happier.
- To make the sound of a bird; to chirp.