cheesy

American  

[chee-zee] / ˈtʃi zi /

adjective

cheesier, cheesiest

1. of or like cheese.

   a cheesy aroma; a cheesy taste.

2. Slang. inferior or cheap; chintzy.

   The movie's special effects are cheesy and unconvincing.

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cheesy British  

/ ˈtʃiːzɪ /

adjective

1. like cheese in flavour, smell, or consistency

2. informal (of a smile) broad but possibly insincere

   a big cheesy grin

3. informal banal or trite; in poor taste

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Other Word Forms

• cheesily adverb
• cheesiness noun

Etymology

Origin of cheesy

1350–1400; Middle English. See cheese ¹, -y ¹

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

Breakfast was porridge with bananas and peanut butter, while lunch was "usually a massive plate of rice with marmite with two eggs, or cheesy fried potatoes with eggs and veg".

From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026

House-made corn tortillas, and your choice of lamb, goat, or beef birria, served traditionally or as grilled cheesy tacos with a dipping consommé.

From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026

Mr. Sokolov styles his work as an homage to 1970s grindhouse cinema, complete with cheesy sound effects, slo-motion, and grandiose musical cues.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

Anytime the film veers into computer-generated territory, it takes on a sheen of cheesy artifice.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2026

Nothing so cheesy as a prefabricated statue in this part of town, though. lust wide fields of flawless lawn.

From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin