cheap
Americanadjective
-
costing very little; relatively low in price; inexpensive.
a cheap dress.
-
costing little labor or trouble.
Words are cheap.
-
charging low prices.
a very cheap store.
-
of little account; of small value; mean; shoddy.
cheap conduct; cheap workmanship.
-
embarrassed; sheepish.
He felt cheap about his mistake.
-
obtainable at a low rate of interest.
when money is cheap.
-
of decreased value or purchasing power, as currency depreciated due to inflation.
-
stingy; miserly.
He's too cheap to buy his own brother a cup of coffee.
- Antonyms:
- charitable, generous
adverb
idioms
-
cheap at twice the price, exceedingly inexpensive.
I found this old chair for eight dollars—it would be cheap at twice the price.
-
on the cheap, inexpensively; economically.
She enjoys traveling on the cheap.
adjective
-
costing relatively little; inexpensive; good value
-
charging low prices
a cheap hairdresser
-
of poor quality; shoddy
cheap furniture
cheap and nasty
-
worth relatively little
promises are cheap
-
not worthy of respect; vulgar
-
ashamed; embarrassed
to feel cheap
-
stingy; miserly
-
informal mean; despicable
a cheap liar
-
See chip
-
informal extremely inexpensive
noun
adverb
Related Words
Cheap, inexpensive agree in their suggestion of low cost. Cheap now usually suggests shoddiness, inferiority, showy imitation, complete unworthiness, and the like: a cheap kind of fur. Inexpensive emphasizes lowness of price (although more expensive than cheap ) and suggests that the value is fully equal to the cost: an inexpensive dress. It is often used as an evasion for the more specific cheap.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of cheap
First recorded before 900; Middle English cheep (short for phrases such as good cheep “cheap,” literally, “good bargain”), Old English cēap “bargain, market, trade”; cognate with German Kauf, Old Norse kaup; all from Latin caupō “innkeeper, tradesman”; see chapman
Explanation
Something cheap doesn't cost much money. But watch out, because cheap things are also often cheaply made. When prices are low, they're cheap: that's a good thing. However, this word is often an insult. Hitting someone who isn't looking is a cheap shot. Things that aren't very well made and use low-quality materials are cheap. When someone — especially a woman — is dressed in a trashy way, people say "You look cheap!" And if you have a stingy Uncle Scrooge in your family, you can call him cheap or even a cheapskate.
Vocabulary lists containing cheap
Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 5
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Kids Like Me: Voices of the Immigrant Experience"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
His family acquired on the cheap a museum-quality collection of Old Master and French Impressionist paintings, which they displayed in their various idiosyncratic homes.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
Is there anything shelf-stable worth stocking up on while it’s cheap?
From Salon • May 22, 2026
Some of this comes cheap, but going all out can run up the tab sharply.
From Barron's • May 21, 2026
“And I think what people miss about that is these companies were so cheap relative to what you could make out of them that it didn’t make any difference what oil did,” he said.
From MarketWatch • May 20, 2026
It was a cheap publication, aimed at minor gentlemen and farmers, the sort of thing that is used for lighting fires once it becomes obviously outdated.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
