tongue-in-cheek
English · Thesaurus
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tongue-in-cheek
Where it comes from
This phrase alludes to the facial expression created by putting one's tongue in one's cheek. The term first appeared in print in 1828, but it isn't entirely clear that it was used with the modern, rather than a literal, sense. A later citation from Richard Barham is unambiguous.
adjective more tongue-in-cheek · most tongue-in-cheek · tongue in cheek
-
Not intended seriously; jocular or humorous.
He gave a tongue-in-cheek explanation of why the sky was blue, offering a theory about some primordial discount on light blue paint.
Similar: witty, amusing, bright, diverting, droll, entertaining, humorous, jocose, jocular, piquant, quick, quick on the draw
adverb tongue in cheek
- With contempt.
- With irony. He portrayed them tongue-in-cheek as great lawgivers, as Solons.
Translations
Every language
adj witty, jocular, humorous
| Español | irónico, burlón, de broma, como chiste |
|---|---|
| Français | second degré |
| Deutsch | augenzwinkernd, mit einem Augenzwinkern |
| Ελληνικά | αστείος asteíos, χιουμοριστικός chioumoristikós |
| Русский | насме́шливый nasméšlivyj, лука́вый lukávyj, шутливый šutlivyj |
Talk about this word "tongue-in-cheek." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/tongue-in-cheek. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. tongue-in-cheek. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/tongue-in-cheek "tongue-in-cheek." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/tongue-in-cheek.Cite this
@misc{tongue_in_cheek_2026,
title = {tongue-in-cheek},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/tongue-in-cheek},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
