cheek
Americannoun
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cheeks
plural
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either side of the face below the eye and above the jaw.
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the side wall of the mouth between the upper and lower jaws.
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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.
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impudence or effrontery.
He's got a lot of cheek to say that to me!
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Slang. either of the buttocks.
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Architecture.
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one side of an opening, as a reveal.
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either of two similar faces of a projection, as a buttress or dormer.
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Carpentry.
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a piece of wood removed from the end of a timber in making a tenon.
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a piece of wood on either side of a mortise.
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one side of a hammer head.
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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.
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one of the two main vertical supports forming the frame of a hand printing press.
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Machinery. either of the sides of a pulley or block.
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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.
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Metallurgy. any part of a flask between the cope and the drag.
idioms
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(with) tongue in cheek. tongue.
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cheek by jowl, in close intimacy; side by side.
a row of houses cheek by jowl.
noun
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either side of the face, esp that part below the eye
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either side of the oral cavity; side of the mouth
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informal impudence; effrontery
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informal (often plural) either side of the buttocks
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(often plural) a side of a door jamb
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nautical one of the two fore-and-aft supports for the trestletrees on a mast of a sailing vessel, forming part of the hounds
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one of the jaws of a vice
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close together; intimately linked
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to be submissive and refuse to retaliate even when provoked or treated badly
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See tongue
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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
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:
“Turn the other cheek, that ain’t really winning, is it?”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
But to turn the other cheek at this point, or even to chalk these changes up to healthful new habits, would be to ignore the obvious.
From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2026
This summer, Stokes returned from a broken cheek suffered when struck by a ball while coaching the Durham academy.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
His obsession with late-night television is almost endearing, like a child who bursts into tears on their birthday because someone smooshed a cupcake into their cheek.
From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026
The hand against his cheek was nothing but bones.
From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff
In this alternate universe, beautiful people have pig snouts, distorted mouths, and sagging cheeks.
From Slate ● Sep. 2, 2026
Add orange-rimmed eyes with jet-black pupils set against white cheeks, a dashing black under-eye line and a radiant round orange bill hinge, and the puffin looks like something invented by a talented circus makeup artist.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
He continues by "mewing," a TikTok trend where people suck in their cheeks and point a finger at their jawline to emphasize their chiseled features.
From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026
They brandished the Mexican flag seemingly everywhere: on banners, painted on cheeks, emblazoned on Jaimes’ tube top.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026
My mom called my name from the dining room, and I grabbed both of my cheeks in my fingers and gave them a rough twist to pink them up a bit.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
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.
