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.
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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.
The representative made her an offer: Cheeky Scientist’s Diamond Program, an online mentoring package, for a little over half what he said was the standard retail price of $9998—provided she sign up immediately.
From Science Magazine • Sep. 13, 2023
"Cheeky as hell" and a first senior goal on 26 December - Jurgen Klopp described Spanish teenager Stefan Bajcetic's impact for Liverpool as "like a Christmas story".
From BBC • Dec. 26, 2022
Cheeky marketing sort of became baked into Daniel Defense as it got bigger and bigger.
From Slate • Jun. 2, 2022
Cheeky love stories may be on brand for this time of year, but they're not the only genre Netflix has to offer.
From Salon • Feb. 5, 2022
The name Cheeky would have come easily to her, so it made sense to phase me out.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
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.
