What does cheesed mean?
Cheesed is an informal British adjective meaning annoyed, bored, or fed up. In modern usage it almost never stands alone; it appears in the fixed expression "cheesed off," which functions as a mildly forceful way of saying someone is irritated or disgusted with a person, situation, or state of affairs. A commuter stuck on a delayed train or an employee worn down by pointless meetings might describe themselves as "totally cheesed off." The word is conversational rather than formal, and its tone sits somewhere between mild grumbling and open exasperation — stronger than mere displeasure but less aggressive than anger or fury. Though understood in North America, it remains markedly more common in Britain and other Commonwealth varieties of English, and it is generally avoided in formal writing. For learners of English, "cheesed off" is worth knowing as one of the many colourful British idioms for expressing frustration, alongside "fed up," "miffed," and "hacked off."
adjectiveAnnoyed, bored, or fed up; almost always used in the phrase "cheesed off." It is the past participle of the informal verb "cheese off."
- (informal, usually as "cheesed off") annoyed, bored, or disgusted; fed up.
"He was thoroughly cheesed off when his train was cancelled for the third time that week."
"She was cheesed off at being kept waiting for over an hour."
"The players were getting cheesed off with the constant delays."
Brits have been getting 'cheesed off' since at least the Second World War — and nobody is entirely sure where the cheese came from.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cheesed
Cheesed derives from the informal verb "to cheese off," meaning to disgust, annoy, or bore, which itself comes from "cheese" used as a verb. The ultimate origin of this verbal use is uncertain; one widely cited suggestion links it to Anglo-Indian usage from Hindi/Urdu "chīz" ("thing"), while others connect it to older slang uses of "cheese" meaning to stop or desist. The adjective "cheesed" (in "cheesed off") became established in British slang by the mid-twentieth century.
Related word forms
How cheesed is actually used
Informal and conversational in register, far more common in British English than American English. It is virtually always used predicatively and overwhelmingly appears in the fixed form "cheesed off," often intensified with "thoroughly" or "really." Avoid in formal writing.
Easily confused with cheesed
"Cheesy" means cheap, corny, or overly sentimental (or literally like cheese), whereas "cheesed" means annoyed or fed up.