Cheeky Definition & Meaning

American

British

Usage

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms cheeky American [chee-kee] / ˈtʃi ki /

adjective

cheekier, cheekiest

1. rude or disrespectful, especially in a playful or witty way; saucy; bold.

   With his trademark cheeky glint in his eye, he told me to get lost.

   A high dose of cheeky slapstick keeps the narrative rolling along.

   Synonyms: bold, audacious, saucy

2. Informal. taken or done for sheer self-indulgent pleasure, usually spontaneously and in defiance of convention or normal restraint.

   This dish makes a great small dessert bowl, perfect for a cheeky scoop of ice cream.

   While in London for work I went for a cheeky spa break.

3. Slang. (of shorts, underwear, etc.) incompletely or scantily covering the buttocks.

   My new swimsuit has a retro triangle white top and a teal cheeky bottom.

noun

1. Slang. Often cheekies a pair of underpants, shorts, etc., that incompletely or scantily cover the buttocks.

   Some feel comfier in a cheeky than in a thong.

   I spent Saturday morning lounging in my favorite T-shirt and a pair of cheekies.

cheeky British / ˈtʃiːkɪ /

adjective

1. disrespectful in speech or behaviour; impudent

   a cheeky child

"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

Usage

What does cheeky mean? Cheeky means bold, brash, and a bit rude, but also maybe a little playful and amusing.Cheeky is an adjective that is typically used to describe a person or their actions or comments. It is most commonly used in the U.K., but it is frequently used elsewhere as well.Example: During her speech, she managed to sneak in a cheeky remark about her previous employer.

Other Word Forms

• cheekily adverb
• cheekiness noun

Etymology

Origin of cheeky

First recorded in 1855–60; cheek + -y 1

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.

"That show was a real manifesto of my taste," she said, "a bit left-field and very cheeky."

From BBC

"He was just a cheeky chappy, he was the fun one," she said.

From BBC

Adam Parker and his team at Trivariate Research have a cheeky suggestion: Buy the opposite of what Wall Street strategists recommend.

From The Wall Street Journal

For decades, Asda had the reputation as Britain's cheapest grocer, a slightly cheeky northern-based business loved by families for its "everyday low prices."

From BBC

"He was very cheeky... but when he was cheeky, they all loved him for his cheekiness," she smiled.

From BBC

Related Words

• bold
• brash
• saucy

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.