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 of cheeky

• wise
• sassy
• saucy
• bold
• impudent
• fresh
• brazen
• cocky
• insolent
• blunt
• brassy
• cute
• defiant
• audacious
• brash
• impertinent
• nervy
• cocksure
• assertive

Examples of cheeky in a Sentence

a cheeky comment about something that was none of her business

Recent Examples on the Web

David made his own cheeky Instagram post about how much his life has changed. — Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 13 Sep. 2026

Paltrow recently went topless while promoting her Goop Beauty body wash, sharing a cheeky video of her lathering up with the soap in the shower in July. — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 12 Sep. 2026

In the cheeky ad, Sweeney goes nude while posing with a variety of sports equipment including footballs and basketballs covering her. — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026

Consider it a cheeky wink shared between only you and the designers behind this launch. — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 5 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see cheek entry 1

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cheeky

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

Kids Definition

cheeky

adjective

ˈchē-kē 

cheekier; cheekiest

informal : boldly rude or disrespectful in usually a playful way

cheekiness noun