What does "cheek" mean?
The soft skin on each side of the face, below the eyes; the outer surface of the sides of the oral cavity.
Cheek
/t͡ʃiːk/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The soft skin on each side of the face, below the eyes; the outer surface of the sides of the oral cavity.
- Grammar: cheek is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: boldness, impudence, arse, ass.
- Useful contrasts: civility, compliance, obedience.
- Usage evidence: The girl kissed her father on the cheek.
How to use "cheek"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "cheek" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "cheek" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "cheek" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "cheek" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "cheek" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "boldness" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "cheek", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The soft skin on each side of the face, below the eyes; the outer surface of the sides of the oral cavity. countable, uncountable
"There are some shrewd contents in yon same paper, / That steals the colours from Bassanio's cheek: / Some dear friend dead; else nothing in the world / Could turn so much the constitution / Of any constant man. What, worse and worse!— […]"
- 2 impudent aggressiveness wordnet
- 3 The lower part of the buttocks that is often exposed beneath very brief underwear, swimwear, or extremely short shorts. countable, informal, plural-normally, uncountable
- 4 either of the two large fleshy masses of muscular tissue that form the human rump wordnet
- 5 Impudence. figuratively, informal, uncountable
"You’ve got some cheek, asking me for money!"
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 either side of the face below the eyes wordnet
- 7 One of the genae, flat areas on the sides of a trilobite's cephalon. countable, informal, uncountable
- 8 an impudent statement wordnet
- 9 One of the pieces of a machine, or of timber or stonework, that form corresponding sides or a similar pair. countable, uncountable
"the cheeks of a vice"
- 10 One of the pieces of a machine, or of timber or stonework, that form corresponding sides or a similar pair.; pump-cheek, pump-cheeks, a piece of wood cut out fork-shaped in which the brake is fastened by means of a bolt and can thus move around and move the upper box of the pump up and down countable, uncountable
- 11 The branches of a bridle bit. countable, in-plural, uncountable
- 12 Either side of an axehead. countable, uncountable
- 13 The middle section of a flask, made so that it can be moved laterally, to permit the removal of the pattern from the mould. countable, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To be impudent towards.
"Don't cheek me, you little rascal!"
- 2 speak impudently to wordnet
- 3 To pull a horse's head back toward the saddle using the cheek strap of the bridle.
"Such horses might need to be "cheeked" for a while."
- 4 To put or keep something in one’s cheek.
"The squirrel cheeked some nuts before heading back to its nest."
Proper Noun
- 1 A pre-Norman surname.
- 2 An unincorporated community in Carter County, Oklahoma, United States.
- 3 An unincorporated community in Jefferson County, Texas, United States, established by John R. Cheek.
Example
"The girl kissed her father on the cheek."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "cheek"?
Common synonyms include: boldness, impudence, arse, ass, assurance, audacity.
How do you use "cheek" in a sentence?
The girl kissed her father on the cheek.
How do you pronounce "cheek"?
Pronounced /t͡ʃiːk/.
Etymology
From Middle English cheeke, cheke, cheoke, choke, from Old English ċēce, ċēace, ċēoce (“cheek; jaw”), from Proto-West Germanic *kākā, *keukā (“jaw, cheek”), from Proto-Germanic *kēkǭ, *keukǭ (“jaw; palate; pharynx”), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *ǵyewh₁- (“to chew”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Sooke (“cheek”), West Frisian tsjeak (“jaw”), Dutch kaak (“jaw; cheek”), Swedish käke (“jaw; jowl”), Norwegian kjake (“jaw”), Old Norse kók (“mouth; gullet”).