Cheekiness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A playful or amusing quality of being bold, impudent, or disrespectful in a lighthearted way that is not intended to cause genuine offense
2. A characteristic of being humorously assertive or audacious, often marked by a playful disregard for social constraints or norms
3. The quality of exhibiting effrontery or impudence in a light and entertaining manner that does not cross into severe rudeness

Etymology: Cheekiness is a plain compound: the adjective "cheeky" with the suffix "-ness" added to turn a quality into a noun. The suffix has a long pedigree, descending from an old Germanic ending that formed nouns of state or quality, and it reached English as "-nes" in Old English and "-nesse" in Middle English before settling into the form used today. The more interesting part is the adjective it is built on. "Cheeky" grew out of "cheek" in the sense of impudent talk or sauciness, so a cheeky person is one whose face, so to speak, is doing the talking. Adding "-ness" gives the abstract quality itself, the habit of getting away with a bold remark, which is why the noun often describes a grin that is more mischievous than rude.

Synonyms: impudence, insolence, sauciness, audacity, brashness

Antonyms: seriousness, respectfulness, modesty, humility, reticence