cheeky

play

adjective \ ˈchē-kē \

Definition of cheeky

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

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cheekily

play \-kə-lē\ adverb

—

cheekiness

play \-kē-nəs\ noun

See cheeky defined for English-language learners

See cheeky defined for kids

Examples of cheeky in a Sentence

a cheeky comment about something that was none of her business

Recent Examples of cheeky from the Web

The knit fits well, the tiger pattern is rebellious and cheeky, and Mayweather’s choice of black pants and shiny-lace up boots makes nothing but good sense for an outfit meant to intimidate.

— megan gustashaw, GQ, "Floyd Mayweather Took a Page Out of McGregor's Style Playbook on their Last Press Tour Stop," 15 July 2017
The official Wimbledon Twitter account has even been cheeky about it.

— devon ivie, Teen Vogue, "Wimbledon Has Become Infested With Flying Ants," 6 July 2017
An Absolute Outrage But not as cheeky as this Shetland pony who tried to straight up eat the queen’s flowers today.

— elise taylor, Vogue, "Let’s Speculate Wildly About What Queen Elizabeth and Justin Trudeau Talked About in Their Private Audience," 5 July 2017
While Sharon Osbourne had a cheeky suggestion for the Jenner sisters.

— cady lang, Time, "Here's What Celebrities Had to Say About Kendall and Kylie Jenner's T-Shirt Line Controversy," 30 June 2017
Owing either to the new president or to record viewership numbers or to both, Season 9 of the cheeky crossdressing competition has been accompanied by a heap of publicity noting drag’s political implications (guilty!).

— spencer kornhaber, The Atlantic, "Sasha Velour and Drag's Permanent Revolution," 26 June 2017
The Arrested Development star and the British monarch have exchanged cheeky messages.

— vanityfair.com, "Yes, Will Arnett and Prince Harry Text Each Other," 22 June 2017
Gonio is well-matched by Corinna Lapid Munter, another admirable vocalist and a cheeky comedian who, as Mrs. Lovett, becomes Sweeney’s accomplice.

— misha berson, The Seattle Times, "Review: That brutal barber ‘Sweeney Todd’ holds court at ArtsWest," 12 June 2017
After spending the last year building a beta and collecting clinical data, Woebot Labs Inc. just launched the full commercial product—a cheeky, personalized chatbot that checks on you once a day for the price of $39 a month.

— megan molteni, Wired News, "The Chatbot Therapist Will See You Now," 7 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cheeky.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of cheeky

see ¹cheek

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1846

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cheeky Synonyms

Synonyms

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

Antonyms

meek, mousy (or mousey), retiring, shy, timid

Related Words

assertive, forward, obtrusive; audacious, defiant, disrespectful; shameless, unabashed, unblushing; bluff, blunt, curt; cute, facetious, flip, flippant, pert, smart, smart-aleck, smart-alecky; lippy, mouthy

Near Antonyms

demure, humble, modest; courteous, genteel, mannerly, polite, proper; deferential, respectful; abashed, ashamed, blushing, embarrassed, shamefaced; gentle, mild; inconspicuous, unobtrusive

CHEEKY Defined for English Language Learners

cheeky

play

adjective

Definition of cheeky for English Language Learners

: rude and showing a lack of respect often in a way that seems playful or amusing

CHEEKY Defined for Kids

cheeky

play

adjective \ ˈchē-kē \

Definition of cheeky for Students

cheekier; cheekiest

:showing disrespect :rude

Learn More about cheeky

See words that rhyme with cheeky Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for cheeky Spanish Central: Translation of cheeky Nglish: Translation of cheeky for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of cheeky for Arabic speakers

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Examples of cheeky in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of cheeky

cheeky Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

CHEEKY Defined for English Language Learners

cheeky

Definition of cheeky for English Language Learners

CHEEKY Defined for Kids

cheeky

Definition of cheeky for Students

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