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cheap definition
cheap (c̸hēp)
adjective
- low in price or cost; not expensive
- charging low prices: a chain of cheap stores
- spending or able to spend little: a cheaper clientele
- worth more than the price
- costing little labor or trouble; easily gotten: a cheap victory
- of little value or poor quality; virtually worthless
- deserving of scorn; contemptible: made cheap by their own behavior
- Informal stingy; niggardly
- Econ. lowered in exchange value or buying power; also, available at low interest rates: said of money
Origin: < good cheap, favorable bargain < ME god chep (used as transl. of OFr à bon marché) < OE ceap, a purchase, bargain, akin to Ger kaufen, to buy; ult. < L caupo, petty tradesman
adverb
at a low cost; cheaply
noun
- a market: now only in place names: Cheapside
- Obsolete a bargain
Origin: OE ceap, market; akin to Dan kjob (ON kaup) as in Kjöbnhavn (Copenhagen)
cheap (chēp)
adjective cheap·er, cheap·est- a. Relatively low in cost; inexpensive or comparatively inexpensive.b. Charging low prices: a cheap restaurant.
- a. Obtainable at a low rate of interest. Used especially of money.b. Devalued, as in buying power: cheap dollars.
- Achieved with little effort: a cheap victory; cheap laughs.
- Of or considered of small value: in wartime, when life was cheap.
- Of poor quality; inferior: a cheap toy.
- Worthy of no respect; vulgar or contemptible: a cheap gangster.
- Stingy; miserly.
Inexpensively: got the new car cheap.
Origin: From Middle English (god) chep, (good) price, purchase, bargain, from Old English cēap, trade, from Latin caupō, shopkeeper.
Related Forms:
- cheaply cheapˈly adverb
- cheapness cheapˈness noun