cheekiness
cheekiness — noun
1. the quality or behaviour of saying or doing things that are playfully rude, cros
the quality or behaviour of saying or doing things that are playfully rude, crossing a social line in a way that most people find funny rather than truly offensive
Mei's cheekiness made the whole class laugh, even though she was talking during the lesson.
cheekiness + causes laughter despite breaking rules
The child's cheekiness was funny, but his mother still told him to say sorry.
cheekiness + funny but corrected
Diego was known for his cheekiness, always making jokes at the worst possible moment.
Fatima smiled at her friend's cheekiness and shook her head, unable to stay angry.
The journalist's cheekiness during the interview annoyed the minister but got laughs from the crew.
- impertinence
slightly more formal; suggests boldness towards someone in authority
- sass
informal, mainly US; focuses on talking back to someone in a cheeky way
- impudence
stronger and more negative; implies deliberate disrespect without the playful element
- politeness
behaviour that shows care and respect for others
- courtesy
formal polite behaviour, especially in social situations
文法句型
uncountable noun
用法筆記
Cheekiness is almost always light-hearted — if real harm or strong anger is caused, a stronger word such as 'insolence' is more appropriate.