Meaning & use
cheek
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Meanings
nouncountable
Either of the two soft, rounded parts of the face below the eyes.
Grammar: Each person has two: she kissed him on the cheek.
Patterns
- on the cheek
- kiss someone on the cheek
Tears ran down her cheek.
He kissed his aunt on the cheek and said goodbye.
The cold wind turned their cheeks bright red.
noununcountableinformalBritish
Rude or too bold behavior that shows a lack of respect, often in a way that is slightly amusing.
Grammar: Used without a plural in this sense, often after a: what a cheek!
Patterns
- have the cheek to do something
- what a cheek
He had the cheek to ask for a refund after eating the whole meal.
What a cheek! She took my seat while I was away.
I can't believe the cheek of that man.
nouncountableinformal
Either of the two rounded halves of the buttocks.
Grammar: Usually appears in a plural form in everyday talk.
Patterns
- cheek by jowl
He sat on the edge of the bench with one cheek on the seat.
The doctor told her to relax her cheeks before the injection.
She shifted from one cheek to the other on the hard chair.
Word forms
| plural | cheeks |
|---|
Common combinations
- rosy cheeks
- The children came in from the snow with rosy cheeks.
- turn the other cheek
- She decided to turn the other cheek and ignore the insult.
- tongue in cheek
- His comment was tongue in cheek, so nobody was offended.
- cheek by jowl
- The shops stood cheek by jowl along the narrow lane.
- have the cheek to
- He had the cheek to criticize my cooking.
Synonyms and how they differ
- nerve
- Nerve is a close match for the rude sense, but it can also mean admirable courage, which cheek rarely does.
- impudence
- Impudence is more formal and sounds more serious than the lighter, often playful cheek.
- gall
- Gall suggests shocking boldness that makes you angry, where cheek can feel almost charming.
- insolence
- Insolence is open disrespect toward someone in authority, which is stronger than ordinary cheek.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: cheek or cheque?
cheek vs cheque
A cheque (British spelling, check in American English) is a written order to pay money. It sounds the same but has no link to the face or to rudeness.
Practice
She had the ___ to ask for a discount after complaining about the price.
Choose one answer.
Have the cheek to is the set pattern for bold, slightly rude behavior. Nerve can also fit, but it is not the target here; brow and chin do not work in the idiom.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “cheek”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.