cheesy
Americanadjective
-
cheesier,
comparative
-
cheesiest
superlative
-
of or like cheese.
a cheesy aroma; a cheesy taste.
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Slang. inferior or cheap; chintzy.
The movie's special effects are cheesy and unconvincing.
adjective
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like cheese in flavour, smell, or consistency
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informal (of a smile) broad but possibly insincere
a big cheesy grin
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informal banal or trite; in poor taste
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of cheesy
Explanation
Use the word cheesy to describe something that's cheap or badly made. You might hope your fake Rolex watch will impress your friends, but they're bound to see how cheesy it is. A really horrible motel room, with shag carpeting and strange art on the walls, can be described as cheesy, and so can a badly-written, sloppily made television movie. Cheesy is a great informal way to talk about shoddy or slightly unpleasant things. It comes from late 1800's United States university student slang, which also included the term cheese, which meant "ignorant, stupid person."
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:
Taco Bell’s Luxe Value Menu offers 10 items for $3 or less, including a spicy potato soft taco for $1.69 and a cheesy bean and rice burrito for $1.89.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
Start a new crossword streak: What’s an 11-letter word for a cheesy polyester ’fit?
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
The friendship between the pair was noticed first at BVB, who even put out a video on YouTube on Valentine's Day of them reading cheesy pick-up lines to each other.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
I feared a wrath of derision when I confessed my cheesy souvenir habit recently in my email newsletter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
The air is damp with dinner—leftover turkey, stinky Brussels sprouts, salad, whole grain rolls and cheesy potatoes, Emma’s favorite.
From "Wintergirls" by Laurie Halse Anderson
The outfits are cheesier, the cosmetic enhancements less refined, and the McMansions somehow more generic.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 23, 2024
They're fluffier, pillowier, and cheesier, thanks to a combination of cream cheese and ricotta.
From Salon ● Nov. 27, 2021
They are best enjoyed somewhere cheesier and more cheerful.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 24, 2019
It was a moment that illustrated how comfortable Kylie has become with her storied musical legacy - maturing with her audience and embracing the cheesier moments of her past.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2018
Thanks in part to cheesier pizzas and more buttery buns, commercial use of those two dairy products was up 4% in the year through July.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2016
Next to these men in uniform, Alexander Vlahos' aloof wandering artist Charles Lockhart is intentionally difficult to peg and the show's cheesiest new addition.
From Salon ● Mar. 20, 2022
It may be the cheesiest of clichés, but Wilson is wired that way.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 10, 2021
At lunch they also spoke about recent trips to Croatia, and playfully got onto the topic of the cheesiest pickup lines they ever heard.
From New York Times ● Jul. 10, 2020
The sets hold a dismaying amount of dreck, yet Day applied the same conviction and believability to everything from the cheesiest polkas to Harold Arlen.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2019
I’m starting to feel really stupid, like I’ve just said the cheesiest thing ever.
From "Blended" by Sharon M. Draper
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.
