cheeky
Americanadjective
-
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.
-
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.
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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
adjective
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
Etymology
Origin of cheeky
Explanation
If you're being cheeky you're being brash or irreverent. If you're a cheeky child, you're probably just being impudent and disrespectful — and you're probably going to get in trouble. Cheeky has shades of meaning according to the degree of offense taken, and this may vary between British and American English. At the offensive end are the synonyms rude, disrespectful, and insulting. Less offensive are sassy, arrogant, and shameless. Rounding out the cheeky spectrum are bold, assertive, and daring, which are about getting noticed but without causing injury.
Vocabulary lists containing cheeky
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
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Born a Crime
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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.
See Examples For:
“I’ve Been Loving You Too Long”? “Hard to Handle,” it’s cheeky, it’s lighthearted.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
But Declan’s turf is the raffish seaside town of Blackpool, home to cheeky postcards and stand-up comedians.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Another slightly cheeky observation on my behalf: I don’t think a $17,000 credit-card debt and the word “only” belong in the same sentence.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
In a post on a fundraising page, his parents said: "Four weeks later and the cheeky little boy that we love so much is talking to the nurses, playing using his feet and smiling again."
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
“He’s become too cheeky around my house,” my father railed.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
Mythology offers a far cheekier explanation for the Cat's absence.
From Salon ● Jan. 21, 2023
But when she lifted the lid on the box and removed the red-and-white checkered wax paper, I realized there was perhaps a cheekier motivation: She wanted to conduct an experiment.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 18, 2022
Another forum had a cheekier explanation for why it was banning posts about ransomware: “if it ran somewhere, then you should probably go catch it?”
From The Verge ● Dec. 9, 2021
"There was a bit more reverence in old-fashioned TV," she adds, "where you wouldn't dream of making up new developments for a character because it wasn't your character. I think TV has become cheekier."
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2018
Not that his rank in life made him any the cheekier, but I suppose it was born in the boy.
From As We Sweep Through The Deep by Gordon Stables
Maurizio Sarri’s side took the lead in the 21st minute with a fantastic assist from Sergej Milinković-Savić, who sent Immobile clear with the cheekiest of backheel flicks and the forward coolly slotted home.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 31, 2022
However, the honor for the cheekiest Easter egg in the main titles belongs to Steve Zahn, who plays Mark.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2021
"We've had seven puppies and dogs, but Urwin is probably the cheekiest," says Darcy, 27.
From BBC ● Feb. 23, 2018
In the end, “Professor Marston and the Wonder Women” gets away with its cheekiest conceits for the simplest and most intuitive of reasons, which is that the actors commit themselves entirely.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2017
All I heard was Mrs Pratchett’s dreadful high-pitched voice behind me screeching, ‘This one’s the cheekiest of the bloomin’ lot, ’Eadmaster!
From "Boy: Tales of a Childhood" by Roald Dahl
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.
