cheeky means British adjective meaning mildly impudent in a charming way — or a slightly indulgent, casual act. It's mostly used in British informal speech. It's casual and generally safe with friends and online. It's standard online vocabulary; nothing inherently concerning about hearing it.
cheeky
British adjective meaning mildly impudent in a charming way — or a slightly indulgent, casual act.
ˈtʃiː.kiDocumented since 1830sSilenthistoricalCurrent3.6K viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026＋ Add a definition
Seen in the wild
3 citations · last seen May 2026
Etymology timeline
Born ~1838 · 1 year of recorded use19th centurySee decade cohort →
Seen in the wild
BlueskyMay 2026
Cheeky in-studio selfie 😜 💖 #gay #pup #gaypup #pupplay
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BlueskyMay 2026
Their press peeps love to downplay every explosive event. They think they are being cheeky, because most of their fans are in a cult and think "thing go boom" is cool.
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BlueskyMay 2026
Feeling cheeky today. #butt #ass #cock #teamcut #penis
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Wikipedia: The Cheeky Girls
The Cheeky Girls are a Romanian singing duo consisting of identical twin sisters Gabriela and Monica Irimia.
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Wikipedia: The Cheeky Girls
They are best known for their debut single, "Cheeky Song (Touch My Bum)", which has sold more than 1.
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Definitions
UK
+856100%
#1·Apr 23, 2026UKNeutral
British adjective meaning mildly impudent in a charming way — or a slightly indulgent, casual act. "Cheeky Nando's" = a spontaneous meal out with mates.
"Fancy a cheeky pint after work?"
Origin: Regional vernacular; long-established in its native community.
For parents
cheeky means British adjective meaning mildly impudent in a charming way — or a slightly indulgent, casual act. It's mostly used in British informal speech. It's casual and generally safe with friends and online. It's standard online vocabulary; nothing inherently concerning about hearing it.
For ESL learners
"cheeky" is slang. It means: British adjective meaning mildly impudent in a charming way — or a slightly indulgent, casual act. Register: casual. Use it in: casual conversation and online posts. Avoid in: formal writing and professional emails.
Cluster: approval
Heard in the wild
“Cheeky in-studio selfie 😜 💖 #gay #pup #gaypup #pupplay”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Their press peeps love to downplay every explosive event. They think they are being cheeky, because most of their fans are in a cult and think "thing go boom" is cool.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Feeling cheeky today. #butt #ass #cock #teamcut #penis”
— Bluesky· May 2026“The Cheeky Girls are a Romanian singing duo consisting of identical twin sisters Gabriela and Monica Irimia.”
“They are best known for their debut single, "Cheeky Song (Touch My Bum)", which has sold more than 1.”
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Show 4 more dictionary-style senses (imported)
UK
#2·May 2, 2026UKWork-OK
Tending to expose the cheeks of the buttocks.
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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UK
#3·May 2, 2026UKWork-OK
Indulged in as a treat, especially an unhealthy one.
Cluster: food
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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UK
#4·May 2, 2026UKFormal
Impudent; impertinent; impertinently bold, often in a way that is regarded as endearing or amusing.
Cluster: approval
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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UK
#5·May 2, 2026UKFormal
Poisonous (of animals such as snakes), dangerous, cunning, violent, potent.
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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UK
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🇬🇧About British & Irish slang slang
UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.
See all British & Irish slang slang on Slangora.
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Other words near "cheeky" (C)
chee cheong funcheek by jowlcheek it outcheek it throughcheeko pekcheekscheeky checkcheeky chopscheeky codedcheeky energycheeky modecheeky monkey
Browse all slang words starting with C.
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Semantically related
- cheeky chops76%
A warm, affectionate British term for someone who's being playfully bold or impudent — especially a child or friend who's pushing their luck with a wide grin on their face. 'Cheeky chops' lands somewhere between a telling-off and a compliment; it acknowledges the cheek while also finding it charming. It's the thing you call your little nephew when he refuses to go to bed and answers back with a joke instead. Quintessentially British, endlessly versatile, and impossible to say without at least half-smiling.
- cheeky chops76%
(UK, colloquial) An impudent person.
- cheeky pint74%
British: a casual, spontaneous beer at the pub. Always framed as innocent despite rarely being just one. "Cheeky pint on the way home" is the overture to a 6-pint Tuesday that ends in questionable kebabs and an 11am alarm you'll snooze through twice.