cheeky

[chee-kee]

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.

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

/ ˈtʃiːkɪ /

adjective

1. disrespectful in speech or behaviour; impudent

   a cheeky child

Other Word Forms

• cheekily adverb
• cheekiness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of cheeky¹

First recorded in 1855–60; cheek + -y ¹

Example Sentences

One of the lads drafted this contract saying 'I must not be cheeky to the senior pros again' and he had to sign it before we let him out.

From BBC

Director Nicholas Stoller, whom she now works with on “Platonic,” changed her life, casting her as a cheeky pop star in “Get Him to the Greek.”

From Los Angeles Times

Over the years, Charton announced and documented her previous pregnancies with similarly cheeky posts.

From Los Angeles Times

Cuomo leaned into the moment with a cheeky campaign stunt, mocking Adams’ troubles while reminding voters of his own knack for theatrics.

From Salon

He was a boy who could sometimes be cheeky but "would never overstep boundaries".

From BBC

Related Words

• bold 
• brash 
• saucy 

When To Use

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.