What is the meaning of tongue-in-cheek?

adjective

Cleverly amusing in tone.
- usage: "a bantering tone"; "facetious remarks"; "tongue-in-cheek advice"
- synonyms: bantering, facetious

adverb

In a bantering fashion.
- usage: "he spoke to her banteringly"
- synonyms: banteringly
Not seriously.
- usage: "I meant it facetiously"
- synonyms: facetiously, jokingly

WordNet 3.0 © 2006 by Princeton University

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APA	WordNet. (2010). tongue-in-cheek. Retrieved September 28, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/tongue-in-cheek/definitions/1185520
Chicago	WordNet. 2010. "tongue-in-cheek" http://smartdefine.org/tongue-in-cheek/definitions/1185520 (accessed September 28, 2026).
Harvard	WordNet 2010, tongue-in-cheek, Smart Define, viewed 28 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/tongue-in-cheek/definitions/1185520>.
MLA	WordNet. "tongue-in-cheek" 23 October 2010. Web. 28 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/tongue-in-cheek/definitions/1185520>

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