cheeseball

1 of 2

adjective

cheese·​ball ˈchēz-ˌbȯl How to pronounce cheeseball (audio)
chiefly US, informal
: inferior in quality : cheap, cheesy
… the orchestration is still layered, complex, and hypnotic. Too bad the production is so blandly cheeseball.Rob Brunner, Entertainment Weekly, 30 July 1999
Stay away from the touristy Pioneer Square historic district and most of its cheeseball clubs, at least on nights and weekends.Spin, July 2006

cheeseball

2 of 2

noun

cheese·​ball ˈchēz-ˌbȯl How to pronounce cheeseball (audio)
plural cheeseballs
chiefly US, informal
: a person who lacks style or good taste : a cheesy person
The other person of interest is … in his mid-30s, works in New York's fashion industry, and considers his looks a hobby. He's a cheeseball, but a fascinating one.Wesley Morris, Boston Globe, 18 May 2012

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

cheese entry 1 (in sense "something, such as entertainment, lacking style, taste, or originality") + -ball (as in cornball, goofball, oddball entry 2, screwball entry 2)

Noun

nominal use of cheeseball entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1986, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1990, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cheeseball was in 1986

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Dictionary Entries Near cheeseball

Cite this Entry

“Cheeseball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cheeseball. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

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