cheeky
- 1Boldly disrespectful or impertinent in a teasing way that people often find amusing or endearing rather than offensive.
His cheeky reply to the question made even the principal laugh out loud.
The toddler shot her grandmother a cheeky smile before hiding the television remote.
UsageUsually affectionate: a cheeky grin, a cheeky reply. Don't be cheeky is a mild telling-off, often to a child.
Similarsassy, saucy, impudent, impertinent, mischievous
Oppositepolite, respectful
Note
Boldness has long been read in the face, and this word belongs to a family built on that idea. In Kipling's Stalky & Co. (1899) one schoolboy tells others they are 'a lot too cheeky.'
Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts
- Rudyard Kipling wrote Stalky & Co., first published in 1899. en.wikisource.org
- A schoolboy, Craye, tells the others they are 'a lot too cheeky.' gutenberg.org
- 2Enjoyed as a small, self-indulgent treat, typically on impulse and with a sense of mild, playful naughtiness.
He treated himself to a cheeky takeaway after a long shift at the hospital.
They booked a cheeky weekend break to celebrate finishing the project early.
UsageGoes before the treat: a cheeky pint, a cheeky takeaway. The naughtiness is a joke.
Note
A British and Commonwealth habit of speech. The guilt is mock guilt, a matter of being naughty rather than doing anything wrong.
- 3Cut so as to leave part of the buttocks exposed, as with certain styles of underwear or swimwear.
The boutique's cheeky bikini briefs are designed to reveal the lower curve of the buttocks.
He found the cut of the cheeky underwear a little too revealing for his taste.
Note
A swimwear and lingerie label that plays on the body's other cheeks. It sits directly before the garment noun, as in a cheeky bikini or cheeky briefs, and names a cut that is more revealing than a full brief but stops short of a thong. In Hugh Lunn's Queenslanders (1984), a seller claims he brought the cheeky bikini to the Coast by adapting the G-string. By 2002 Elle was reporting cheeky bikinis as top sellers.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts
- Hugh Lunn wrote Queenslanders, first published in 1984. openlibrary.org
- The book reports a seller's claim to have introduced the cheeky bikini to the Coast by adapting the G-string. en.wiktionary.org
- Elle reported cheeky bikinis as top sellers in 2002. en.wiktionary.org
Less common meaning
- 4Dangerous, poisonous, cunning, violent, or potent. Used in Australian Aboriginal English, especially of snakes and other harmful animals.
The old stockman warned that the brown snake was cheeky and best left well alone.
Grandfather showed us which spiders were cheeky and which ones were quiet enough to ignore.
UsageIts opposite is quiet: a cheeky snake is dangerous, a quiet one is harmless.
Similardangerous, venomous, poisonous
Oppositeharmless
Note
In Aboriginal English the word is a warning, not a tease, and its partner is quiet. Victoria Burbank's Fighting Women (1994) puts it plainly: 'A death adder is cheeky, a tree snake quiet.' Danger can depend on handling, since wasps are cheeky only if you hold them. A listener who hears the "impudent" meaning may miss that a cheeky snake can kill.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts
- Victoria Katherine Burbank wrote Fighting Women, originally published in 1994. ucpress.edu
- Burbank's book contains the quotation exactly as given. publishing.cdlib.org
- The book describes wasps as cheeky only when held. publishing.cdlib.org
Practice
Can you tell the meanings of cheeky apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.
Origin
Formed from cheek plus the suffix -y.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 1 fact
- Cheeky is formed from cheek plus the suffix -y. en.wiktionary.org