cheek

American  

[cheek] / tʃik /

noun

• cheeks
  plural

1. either side of the face below the eye and above the jaw.

2. the side wall of the mouth between the upper and lower jaws.

3. something resembling the side of the human face in form or position, as either of two parts forming corresponding sides of various objects.

   the cheeks of a vise.

4. impudence or effrontery.

   He's got a lot of cheek to say that to me!

   Synonyms:

   gall, brass, audacity, nerve

5. Slang. either of the buttocks.

6. Architecture.

   1. one side of an opening, as a reveal.

   2. either of two similar faces of a projection, as a buttress or dormer.

7. Carpentry.

   1. a piece of wood removed from the end of a timber in making a tenon.

   2. a piece of wood on either side of a mortise.

8. one side of a hammer head.

9. Horology. one of two pieces placed on both sides of the suspension spring of a pendulum to control the amplitude of oscillation or to give the arc of the pendulum a cycloidal form.

10. one of the two main vertical supports forming the frame of a hand printing press.

11. Machinery. either of the sides of a pulley or block.

12. Nautical. either of a pair of fore-and-aft members at the lower end of the head of a lower mast, used to support trestletrees which in turn support a top and often the heel of a topmast; one of the hounds of a lower mast.

13. Metallurgy. any part of a flask between the cope and the drag.

---

idioms

1. (with) tongue in cheek. tongue.

2. cheek by jowl, in close intimacy; side by side.

   a row of houses cheek by jowl.

cheek British  

/ tʃiːk /

noun

1. 1. either side of the face, esp that part below the eye

   2. either side of the oral cavity; side of the mouth

2. informal impudence; effrontery

3. informal (often plural) either side of the buttocks

4. (often plural) a side of a door jamb

5. nautical one of the two fore-and-aft supports for the trestletrees on a mast of a sailing vessel, forming part of the hounds

6. one of the jaws of a vice

7. close together; intimately linked

8. to be submissive and refuse to retaliate even when provoked or treated badly

9. See tongue

---

verb

1. informal (tr) to speak or behave disrespectfully to; act impudently towards

cheek More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing cheek

• tongue in cheek
• turn the other cheek

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• cheekless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• cheeks
  plural

---

Etymology

Origin of cheek

before 900; Middle English cheke, Old English cē ( a ) ce; akin to Dutch kaak, Middle Low German kake

---

Explanation

Your cheek is the part of your face under your eye and between your ear and nose. Your cheeks might turn bright red in embarrassment when you have to speak in public. When you cry, your cheeks get wet, and when you greet your grandmother, she might give you a kiss on the cheek or even pinch your cheek. Informally, your cheeks are also your buttocks or bottom — and when you're a little rude or sassy, your attitude itself can be called cheek. It comes from the Old English word ceace, "jaw," which probably stems from ceowan, "chew."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cheek cheeks

Everyone we spoke to agreed with that, praising the talented chefs who sent out all sorts of delicious dishes, from braised ox cheek to mackerel to pork loin, day and night.

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

That’s Fennell’s challenge: When something is hard, and when the pain is gratuitous, don’t turn the other cheek, don’t let the heart-wrenching horror slip away.

From Salon ● Oct. 2, 2026

Oxford maintained that he was innocent but agreed to give police a cheek swab for a DNA test.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

The offended parties can also choose to turn the other cheek, though all eyes seem fixed on the gallows.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

His wet fur clung to his bony frame and provided no distraction from his crumpled ear, his missing eye, the crimped whiskers sprouting from his left cheek.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

In it, she wears her blond hair down, its curls frizzing attractively, and appears to be wearing minimal makeup—stained berry lips, pink cheeks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

The acne on her cheeks and chin made her hesitant to look her bosses in the eye.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026

In this alternate universe, beautiful people have pig snouts, distorted mouths, and sagging cheeks.

From Slate ● Sep. 2, 2026

She first started playing at the age of four, saying: "I went to train every day after school with my ruffled socks, light-up shoes and chubby cheeks."

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

She looked as old as Granny herself, with sunken cheeks and loose gray flesh.

From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• lip

---