cheeky

adjective

ˈchē-kē 

cheekier; cheekiest

informal

: boldly rude, impudent, or disrespectful in usually a playful or appealing way

a cheeky grin

… old-timers who still look like they could deck you if you get too cheeky.

—Shaun Assael

cheekily

ˈchē-kə-lē 

adverb

cheekiness

ˈchē-kē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• arch
• audacious
• bold
• bold-faced
• brash
• brassbound
• brassy
• brazen
• brazen-faced
• cocksure
• cocky
• fresh
• impertinent
• impudent
• insolent
• nervy
• sassy
• saucy
• wise

Examples of cheeky in a Sentence

a cheeky comment about something that was none of her business

Recent Examples on the Web

But the music mogul switched up the lyrics to both honor his wife and seemingly send a cheeky message to his former collaborator. —Mekishana Pierre, EW.com, 23 June 2025

Drake found himself on the negative side of discourse this weekend, despite not releasing a song or making any cheeky social media posts. —Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 23 June 2025

A couple of cheeky anecdotes aside, I’m left no wiser about what Gattuso brings to the party other than being the last man standing with both a FIFA PRO license and an Italian passport. —James Horncastle, New York Times, 20 June 2025

Weatherly says to the camera with a cheeky smile during the informative yet nonsensical video. —Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 18 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

see cheek entry 1

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cheeky

• creaky
• freaky
• leaky
• sneaky
• squeaky
• streaky

Kids Definition

cheeky

adjective

ˈchē-kē 

cheekier; cheekiest

informal : boldly rude or disrespectful in usually a playful way

cheekiness noun