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 festival’s name is a cheeky play on Harry Potter’s nickname, “the boy who lived,” given to the character upon surviving a death curse.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

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 white pig was continually grunting and chuckling to herself, and whenever she saw Taran, she would raise her wide, cheeky face so that he could scratch under her chin.

From "The Book of Three" by Lloyd Alexander

Related Words

• bold
• brash
• saucy