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.

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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

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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

The cheeky Midwestern T-shirt purveyor Raygun has an “Iowa Needs Insufferable Wenches” shirt that raises money for their efforts.

From Salon • Mar. 28, 2026

Debut host Tina Fey, a former “SNL” star and head writer, started her monologue with a cheeky explainer.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

Across the backends of the internet, cheeky characterizations of Norris-as-god still abound: Chuck Norris can believe it’s not butter, Chuck Norris doesn’t dodge bullets—they dodge him, Chuck Norris can slam a revolving door.

From Slate • Mar. 20, 2026

The cheeky shirts, available both in full length and as crop tops, have become a viral sensation, with the initial release selling out in just one day.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026

Indeed, at one point Franklin and her student had sent around a cheeky note announcing the “death of the helix.”

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Related Words

• bold
• brash
• saucy