dirt-cheap
adjective
very inexpensive.
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dirt-cheap
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dirt cheap
dirt cheapVery inexpensive, as in Their house was a real bargain, dirt cheap. Although the idea dates back to ancient times, the precise expression, literally meaning “as cheap as dirt,” replaced the now obsolete dog cheap. [Early 1800s]
dirt-cheap
American
[durt-cheep]
/ ˈdɜrtˈtʃip /
adjective
adverb
dirt-cheap
British
adjective
dirt cheap
Idioms
Etymology
Origin of dirt-cheap
First recorded in 1815–25
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.
See Examples For:
Still, lots of ETFs that seemed dirt-cheap 20 years ago when compared with mutual funds now seem like rip-offs alongside newer ETFs whose expenses are far lower.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Likewise, he suggested that the stock’s dirt-cheap valuation multiple doesn’t reflect its true worth.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026
A petrochemical company has announced it intends to cut 60 jobs at a plant in East Yorkshire blaming high energy costs and "dirt-cheap" imports from China.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2025
Many airlines, especially discount carriers, quote a dirt-cheap base fare.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 18, 2023
She purchased a dirt-cheap, used red Ford Pinto with fake-wood paneling.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
See also: Micron’s stock is still dirt cheap.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 28, 2026
With Spirit gone, you can bet that dirt cheap fares to Florida, for example, will be harder to come by.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 2, 2026
If you’re from the Midwest, you know it’s customary to respond to a compliment on your outfit with an effusive “Thank you so much, I got it dirt cheap on massive sale!”
From Slate ● Mar. 1, 2025
They range from dirt cheap to spectacularly expensive, and some are more resilient to new variants than others.
From BBC ● Dec. 3, 2021
You could get everything from fence posts to lambing pens to refrigerators dirt cheap.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
