cheeky

[ chee-kee ]

adjective

, cheek·i·er, cheek·i·est.

1. rude or disrespectful, especially in a playful or witty way; saucy; bold:

   With his trademark cheeky glint in his eye, he told me to get lost.

   A high dose of cheeky slapstick keeps the narrative rolling along.

   Synonyms: bold, audacious, saucy

2. Informal. taken or done for sheer self-indulgent pleasure, usually spontaneously and in defiance of convention or normal restraint:

   This dish makes a great small dessert bowl, perfect for a cheeky scoop of ice cream.

   While in London for work I went for a cheeky spa break.

3. Slang. (of shorts, underwear, etc.) incompletely or scantily covering the buttocks:

   My new swimsuit has a retro triangle white top and a teal cheeky bottom.

noun

1. Often cheek·ies. Slang. a pair of underpants, shorts, etc., that incompletely or scantily cover the buttocks:

   Some feel comfier in a cheeky than in a thong.

   I spent Saturday morning lounging in my favorite T-shirt and a pair of cheekies.

cheeky

/ ˈtʃiːkɪ /

adjective

1. disrespectful in speech or behaviour; impudent

   a cheeky child

Derived Forms

• ˈcheekily, adverb
• ˈcheekiness, noun

Other Words From

• cheek·i·ly adverb
• cheek·i·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of cheeky¹

First recorded in 1855–60; cheek + -y ¹

Related Words

• bold
• brash
• saucy