


It clearly isn't a direct synonym of cheeky, but it could work very well for related behavioral descriptions. either side of a face nerve, audacity, gall, impudence. (of a person, animal, or their behavior) causing or showing a fondness for causing trouble in a playful way cheek synonyms, cheek pronunciation, cheek translation, English dictionary definition of cheek. It has two degrees of meaning, one which is much more negative than the other. Sassy - a more informal synonym, but I doubt that parents would use this to describe their kids it is more common among friends, and for some reasons, more feminine than masculine.įinally, I would say that mischievous does not always have a negative connotation. Impudent - a more formal synonym that would rarely be used in casual conversation. Jimmy always seems to have a will of his own.Īs for a better alternative to cheeky, I do not think there is one, except you want to go for either of the following:.Our five-year-old's got some real spunk.

It may be that a cultural difference accounts for the fact (my conjecture) that American speakers are more likely to use adjectives (or adjectival phrases) that are more specific than cheeky to describe their children's behavior. Unfortunately, this word is not too common among American speakers. Impudent or irreverent, typically in an endearing or amusing way What does cheeky monkey expression mean Definitions by the largest Idiom Dictionary.

The NOAD definition aptly captures your intended meaning: Definition of cheeky monkey in the Idioms Dictionary. Your usage of cheeky is perfectly correct.
