cheapie

Or cheap·y

[chee-pee]

noun

1. a cheaply made, often inferior, product.

   The movie studio made a dozen cheapies last year.

2. any item that is inexpensive as compared with others of its kind.

   All brands of margarine taste alike to me, so I buy a cheapie.

3. a stingy or miserly person.

   That cheapie wouldn't buy anyone a gift!

adjective

1. of, being, or pertaining to a cheap or inferior product.

   cheapie shoes.

2. stingy; miserly.

Word History and Origins

Origin of cheapie¹

First recorded in 1940–45; cheap + -ie

Example Sentences

Unencumbered by much experience but rich with chutzpah, he talks a producer into putting up the money for a cheapie by promising to make a slick noir with plenty of crime and gunplay.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Both losses came at home, with the Kraken not managing a third-period shot Monday until Adam Larsson put a cheapie on goal from the other end of the rink with 97 seconds to play.

Read more on Seattle Times

And when it comes to shoes off in the house, “Maybe have cheapie pairs of socks on hand, or let them know your expectations in advance.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The Peel call was a cheapie — admittedly invented out of nowhere.

Read more on Seattle Times

It’s your basic save-the-girl story, with all the obstacles and allies along the way you might expect, along with the sheen of a cheapie direct-to-video action flick.

Read more on Los Angeles Times