English Reference
Idiom idiom

cheeky monkey


An impudent person, usually a child.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

Stop hiding my keys, you cheeky monkey!

CONTEXTUAL

The toddler giggled as he stole his sister's toy, proving he was a real cheeky monkey.

COMPLEX

Even when caught red-handed with the stolen cookies, the boy offered a grin that revealed him to be a truly incorrigible cheeky monkey.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    as clever as a cartload of monkeys

    Very clever, cunning or mischievous.

  2. 02

    barrel of monkeys

    Someone or something very amusing or funny, fun, mischievous, etc.

  3. 03

    brass monkey

    Very cold.

  4. 04

    brass monkeys

    Very cold.

  5. 05

    get one's monkey up

    To make someone angry, annoyed or irritated.

  6. 06

    grease monkey

    A mechanic, often with the specific connotation of an automobile mechanic.

  7. 07

    like butter on a bald monkey

    Very smooth.

  8. 08

    make a monkey out of

    To cause a person, group, or action to appear foolish or inferior; to subject someone or something to ridicule.

Last updated August 10, 2026