A primary verb; to be "cheer"ful, i.e. Calmly happy or well-off; impersonally, especially as salutation (on meeting or parting), be well -- farewell, be glad, God speed, greeting, hall, joy(- fully), rejoice.

a. in the properly, and strict sense: (Mark 14:11); Luke 15:5,(32); ; John 4:36; John 8:56; John 20:20; Acts 5:41; Acts 8:39; Acts 11:23; Acts 13:48; 2 Cor. (); (some refer this to b. in the sense of farewell); Philippians 2:17, 28; Colossians 2:5; 1 Thessalonians 5:16; 1 Peter 4:13; 3 John 1:3; opposed to κλαίειν, Romans 12:15; 1 Corinthians 7:30; opposed to κλαίειν καί θρηνεῖν, John 16:20; opposed to λύπην ἔχειν, ibid. ; joined with ἀγαλλίασθαι, Matthew 5:12; Revelation 19:7; with σκιρταν, Luke 6:23; χαίρειν ἐν κυρίῳ (see ἐν, L 6 b, p. 211b middle (cf. Buttmann, 185 (161))), Philippians 3:1; Philippians 4:4, 10; χαίρειν χαράν μεγάλην (cf. χαρά, a.), to rejoice exceedingly, Matthew 2:10; also χαρά χαίρειν (Winers Grammar, § 54, 3; Buttmann, § 133, 22), John 3:29: ἡ χαρά ἡ χαίρομεν, 1 Thessalonians 3:9; χαίρειν ἐπί with a dative of the object, Matthew 18:13; Luke 1:14; Luke 13:17; Acts 15:31 Romans 16:19 L T Tr WH; 1 Corinthians 13:6; 1 Corinthians 16:17; 2 Corinthians 7:13; Revelation 11:10 (Xenophon, mem. 2, 6, 35; Cyril 8, 4, 12; Plato, legg. 5, p. 739 d.; cf. Kühner, § 425 Anm. 6; (Winers Grammar, § 33 a.; Buttmann, § 133, 23); in the Greek writings generally with a simple dative of the object as Proverbs 17:19); διά τί, John 3:29; διά τινα, John 11:15; 1 Thessalonians 3:9; ἐν τούτῳ, Philippians 1:18; (ἐν ταῖς παθήμασι μου, Colossians 1:24); with an accusative of the object, τό αὐτό, Philippians 2:18 (ταῦτα, Demosthenes, p. 323, 6; cf. Matthiae, § 414, p. 923; Krüger, § 46, 5, 9); τό ἐφ' ὑμῖν (see ὁ, II. 8, p. 436a), Romans 16:19 R G; ἀπό τίνος, equivalent to χαράν ἔχειν, to derive joy from one, 2 Corinthians 2:3; ἐχάρητε followed by ὅτι, John 14:28; 2 Corinthians 7:9, 16; 2 John 1:4; ἐν τούτῳ, Luke 10:20; with a dative of the cause: τῇ ἐλπίδι χαίροντες, let the hope of future blessedness give you joy, Romans 12:12 (yet cf. Winer's Grammar, § 31, 1 k., 7d.).

b. in a broader sense, to be well, to thrive; in salutations, the imperative χαῖρε, "Hail!" Latinsalve (so from Homer down): Matthew 26:49; Matthew 27:29; Mark 15:18; Luke 1:28; John 19:3; plural χαίρετε (A. V. all hail), Matthew 28:9; at the beginning of letters the infinitive χαίρειν (namely, λέγει or κελευει): Acts 15:23; Acts 23:26; James 1:1 (often in the books of Maccabees; cf. Grimm on 1 Macc. 10:18; Otto in the Jahrbb. f. deutsch. Theol. for 1867, p. 678ff; cf. Hilgenfeld, Galaterbrief, p. 99ff; Xenophon, Cyril 4, 5, 27; Aelian v. h. 1, 25); fully, χαίρειν λέγω, to give one greeting, salute, 2 John 1:10 (11). (Compare: συνχαίρω.)