tongue-in-cheek

adjective

  1. 1

    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.

adverb

  1. 1

    With contempt.

  2. 2

    With irony.

    He portrayed them tongue-in-cheek as great lawgivers, as Solons.

Translate “tongue-in-cheek” to another language

Click any language to open the translator with this word already filled in.