cheap

[ cheep ]

/ tʃip /

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See synonyms for: cheap / cheaper / cheapest / cheaply on Thesaurus.com

adjective, cheap·er, cheap·est.

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.

adverb

at a low price; at small cost: He is willing to sell cheap.

OTHER WORDS FOR cheap

4 paltry, low, poor, inferior, base.

See synonyms for cheap on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR cheap

1 costly, dear, expensive.

8 generous, charitable.

See antonyms for cheap on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about cheap

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, Informal. inexpensively; economically: She enjoys traveling on the cheap.

Origin of cheap

before 900; Middle English cheep (short for phrases, as good cheep cheap, literally, good bargain), Old English cēap bargain, market, trade; cognate with German Kauf,Old Norse kaup; all <Latin caupō innkeeper, tradesman; see chapman

synonym study for cheap

1, 4. 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 WORDS FROM cheap

cheapish, adjectivecheap·ish·ly, adverbcheaply, adverbcheapness, noun

o·ver·cheap, adjectiveo·ver·cheap·ly, adverbo·ver·cheap·ness, nounun·cheap·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use cheap in a sentence

You might think that the reason Medicaid does not require coverage of HCBS is because institutional care is cheaper.
Medicaid Will Give You Money for At-Home Care, but You Might Wait Years|Elizabeth Picciuto|December 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In May, he published his fifth book, Smaller Faster Lighter Denser Cheaper: How Innovation Keeps Proving the Catastrophists Wrong.
Why the Keystone XL Pipeline May Not Be Built|Robert Bryce|November 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
No lasting jobs, no cheaper gas, and a chance to kill off one-fourth of U.S. farmland and maybe the planet.
The Pipeline From Hell: There’s No Good Reason to Build Keystone XL|Jack Holmes|November 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Wireless was cheaper than wired communications, and cell phones were proliferating.
How the NSA Became a Killing Machine|Shane Harris|November 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST

It was 30 percent cheaper to operate than previous jets, and it carried twice as many people.
The Sexy Dream of the 747|Clive Irving|October 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Individual pallet chests are cheaper to make and they have none of the defects named above.
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building|George Laing Miller
Then again amateurs may resort to the old French makers, some old English and the Tyrolean, which may be had cheaper still.
Violins and Violin Makers|Joseph Pearce
If youre finding the rent of this 24 house too much fer ye, why, theres cheaper tenements in town.
The Girls of Central High on the Stage|Gertrude W. Morrison
This situation resulted in the East India Company selling its tea cheaper than the other companies.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia|Dorothy M. Torpey
It is one not likely to be supplemented in times of peace, since surface boats would be cheaper and more available.
The Wonder Book of Knowledge|Various

British Dictionary definitions for cheap

cheap

/ (tʃiːp) /

adjective

costing relatively little; inexpensive; good value

charging low pricesa cheap hairdresser

of poor quality; shoddycheap furniture; cheap and nasty

worth relatively littlepromises are cheap

not worthy of respect; vulgar

ashamed; embarrassedto feel cheap

stingy; miserly

informal mean; despicablea cheap liar

cheap as chips See chip (def. 11)

dirt cheap informal extremely inexpensive

noun

on the cheap British informal at a low cost

adverb

at very little cost

Derived forms of cheap

cheapish, adjectivecheaply, adverbcheapness, noun

Word Origin for cheap

Old English ceap barter, bargain, price, property; related to Old Norse kaup bargain, Old High German kouf trade, Latin caupō innkeeper

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with cheap

cheap

In addition to the idioms beginning with cheap

cheap at twice the price
cheap shot
cheap skate

also see:

dirt cheap
on the cheap

cheap

OTHER WORDS FOR cheap

OPPOSITES FOR cheap

Idioms about cheap

Origin of cheap

synonym study for cheap

OTHER WORDS FROM cheap

Words related to cheap

How to use cheap in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cheap

Derived forms of cheap

Word Origin for cheap

Other Idioms and Phrases with cheap