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

Marissa wore a cheeky two-piece astronaut Halloween costume with fishnet stockings, while her new man rested his hand on her lower back. —Angel Saunders, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024

The actor turned out to be playing a man named Ralph Bohner in what was ultimately a cheeky casting decision. —Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 1 Nov. 2024

The cheeky track followed the nine-time Grammy winner’s May album Hit Me Hard and Soft, which reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200. —Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 25 Oct. 2024

The Duchess of Sussex invited her Suits costars Adams, Rafferty, Macht, Rick Hoffman, Gina Torres and Abigail Spencer to her 2018 royal wedding to Prince Harry at Windsor Castle, and last year, Adams refreshed his Instagram bio to include a cheeky nod to the Sussexes. —Janine Henni, People.com, 30 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see cheek entry 1

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

cheeky

adjective

ˈchē-kē 

cheekier; cheekiest

informal : boldly rude or disrespectful in usually a playful way

cheekiness noun