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.
-
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:
Your insanely great belly laugh and your cheeky smile.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
The 36-year-old described him as "happy, cheeky and full of energy".
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
In that context, Gunn decided to play to her own strengths with a creative gamble, developing a routine that paid cheeky homage to her Australian roots.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
Another guy at the banking academy, a cheeky strawberry-blond, listed “red hair” as an interest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
They only let me out because—you won’t believe it—some cheeky rogue stole the velocipede!
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
"She's got a little bit cheekier because she's looking round her paddock now and sticking her head up to look over the other side," Will said.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2024
A cheekier version of the Bidens’ German shepherd appears in the “Kindness and Gratitude” themed Vermeil Room, peeking out of a wrapped gift box while Willow rests nearby.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 28, 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
The restaurant pays tribute to classic diners and delis, with all-day breakfast and phosphates, as well as cheekier items such as black-and-white challah toast and a design-your-own-mac-and-cheese.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 2019
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
Manchester United forward and England 'super-sub' Alessia Russo - who scored four goals and made one assist in six appearances off the bench - scored the cheekiest of backheels for England's third.
From BBC ● Dec. 23, 2022
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
Russell, who lives in Marin County, California, thinks two of his greatest photos are also the cheekiest.
From The Guardian ● Feb. 10, 2019
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
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
