sheikh

noun

ˈshēk How to pronounce sheikh (audio)
also
ˈshāk How to pronounce sheikh (audio)
for sense 1
variants or sheik
Synonyms of sheikhnext
1
: an Arab chief
2
usually sheik : a man held to be irresistibly attractive to romantic young women

Examples of sheikh in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Videos showed the participants packed into a park, including one dressed as a sheikh with a briefcase full of Brazilian reais. — Mitchell McCluskey, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026 The show revolves around a young man whose life spirals into terrifying events after receiving a mysterious book from an enigmatic sheikh according to promotional materials. — Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 22 May 2026 The nearly $3 trillion UAE sovereign-wealth fund, of which more than half is controlled by the spy sheikh, offers an immense pot of money for venture capital. — George Packer, The Atlantic, 4 May 2026 When a boy turns sixteen, he is assigned a sheikh from his hometown and studies with him in a local prayer room at the shrine every weekend. — Literary Hub, 4 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sheikh

Word History

Etymology

Arabic shaykh

First Known Use

1577, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sheikh was in 1577

Rhymes for sheikh

See All Rhymes for sheikh

Browse Nearby Words

shehitah
sheikh
sheikhdom
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sheikh.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sheikh. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

sheikh

noun
variants or sheik
ˈshēk How to pronounce sheikh (audio)
for sense 1 also
ˈshāk How to pronounce sheikh (audio)
1
a
: an Arab leader, ruler, or prince
b
: a leader of a Muslim organization or group
2
usually sheik : a man supposed to be irresistibly attractive to romantic young women
sheikdom
-dəm
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on sheikh

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for sheikh

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sheikh

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All