cheeky
chee·ky/ˈt͡ʃiːki/adjective
cheeky is spelled C-H-E-E-K-Y: 6 letters and 2 syllables (chee·ky). It appears 3.2 times per million words in written English, the 14,731st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, cheeky means “Impudent; impertinent; impertinently bold, often in a way that is regarded as endearing or amusing” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in cheeky?
| Letters | 6: C-H-E-E-K-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: chee·ky |
| In writing | 3.2 times per million words; the 14,731st most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is cheeky?
Cheeky appears 3.2 times per million words in written English, the 14,731st most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce cheeky?
- /ˈt͡ʃiːki/
Cheeky has 2 syllables, split chee·ky in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-au-cheeky.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of cheeky
- cheekier comparative
- cheekiest superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does cheeky mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
informalImpudent; impertinent; impertinently bold, often in a way that is regarded as endearing or amusing.
- 2
informalTending to expose the cheeks of the buttocks.
- 3
Poisonous (of animals such as snakes), dangerous, cunning, violent, potent.
- 4
CommonwealthUKinformalIndulged in as a treat, especially an unhealthy one.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Cheeky in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense impudent; impertinent:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | effronté, impertinent, insolent |
| German | frech |
| Portuguese | ousado, atrevido |
| Spanish | burlón, pillastre, descarado, pícaro, impertinente, insolente |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does cheeky come from?
From cheek + -y. Compare typologically barefaced, bald-faced; Italian sfacciato (< Latin ex- + faciēs); French effronté, Italian sfrontato (< Latin ex- + frons), Polish czelny (< czoło).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).