adj

cheap

CHEEP

adj

Costing little money.

"We found a cheap flight to Lisbon for under fifty pounds."

"The market sells cheap fruit and vegetables every Saturday."

Of poor quality, as if made to save money rather than to last.

"The umbrella broke on its first use — clearly a cheap one."

"His suit looked cheap despite the designer label."

Unwilling to spend money; stingy.

"Don't be so cheap — just tip the waiter properly."

Achieved through unfair or underhanded means.

"That was a cheap shot, bringing up his divorce in the meeting."

How to Use Cheap

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishLow in price — and, often, low in quality or generosity to match.

Common mistake

"Cheap" describes the price or quality of a thing; "stingy" or "tight" better describes a person's unwillingness to spend, though "cheap" is used informally for people too.

Common pairings

cheap flight cheap shot dirt cheap cheap and cheerful

Word Forms

cheaper comparative, more cheap comparative, cheaped past tense, cheaps plural, cheaps singular, cheapest superlative, most cheap superlative

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We found a _____ flight to Lisbon for under fifty pounds.

Etymology

From Old English cēap, meaning "trade" or "market price." The adjective sense grew out of the old phrase "good cheap," meaning "a good bargain" — over time "cheap" alone came to mean low-priced.

Synonyms

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bargainous brand X budget cheapie cheapo cheesy competitive economical economic el cheapo inexpensive low-cost

Antonyms

expensive affordable

Related Words

cheesy expensive inexpensive inferior frugal economic efficient budget

Rhymes for cheap

leap heap reap

See all rhymes for cheap →

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