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cheap Definition

cheap (c̸hēp)

adjective

  1. low in price or cost; not expensive
  2. charging low prices a chain of cheap stores
  3. spending or able to spend little a cheaper clientele
  4. worth more than the price
  5. costing little labor or trouble; easily gotten a cheap victory
  6. of little value or poor quality; virtually worthless
  7. deserving of scorn; contemptible made cheap by their own behavior
  8. Informal stingy; niggardly
  9. Econ. lowered in exchange value or buying power; also, available at low interest rates: said of money

Etymology: < 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

  1. a market: now only in place names Cheapside
  2. Obsolete a bargain

Etymology: OE ceap, market; akin to Dan kjob (ON kaup) as in Kjöbnhavn (Copenhagen)

cheap Related Forms

cheap′ly adverb cheap′·ness noun

cheap Idioms

on the cheap

at very little cost; cheaply

cheap Synonyms

cheap

modif.

  1. Low in relative price

    inexpensive, low-priced, reasonable, economical, affordable, moderate, family-size, economy-size, economy, budget, utility (grade), reduced, marked down, discounted, depreciated, slashed, standard, modest, cut-rate, on sale, competitive, thrifty, bargain, bargain-priced, sale-priced, irregular, cut-price, low-cost, at a bargain, half-price, popular-priced, worth the money, rock-bottom, second, dime-a-dozen*, dirt-cheap*, costing peanuts*, for a song*, bargain-basement*; see also economical 2.

    Antonyms expensive*, dear*, costly. *

  2. Low in quality

    inferior, shoddy, poorly made, sleazy*; see common 1, poor 2.

  3. Dishonest or base

    dirty, tawdry, low, contemptible; see dishonest 2.

  4. Stingy*

    miserly, penurious, tight*; see stingy.

cheap and inexpensive both mean low in cost or price, but inexpensive simply suggests value comparable to the price, and cheap, in this sense, stresses a bargain; cheap may also imply inferior quality or value, tawdriness, contemptibility, etc. cheap jewelry, to feel cheap

cheap Usage Examples

Preposition: as

chip: The CDs sound very cool and cheap as proverbial chips.

Modifies a noun

  • flight: Click here to see our cheap flights to Beijing.
  • insurance: Two cheap car insurance in new jersey decades with some saving to sign policy.
  • labor: Officials are now using cheap labor in India to correct the errors.
  • airfare: Book cheap airfares, discount hotels and car rental.
  • uk: For instance landlords car cheap driver insurance uk young or withdrawal from.
  • fare: On your bike, Lord Snooty â this is one worker prepared to fight to the death for his cheap air fares.

Used with adjective complement

  • ai: It ain't cheap, but you do save everywhere else.
  • come: Of course this kind of luxury doesn't come cheap.
  • buy: The washer bottle is made from an alloy drink bottle bought cheap from an outdoor shop.

Infinitive complement

  • buy: Comet stocks only the best brands which are considerably cheaper to buy online than in store.
  • fly: Just as car travel has never ever been so cheap, it has never been so cheap to fly.
  • install: At some of the lower levels, the solutions can be very simple and cheap to install.
  • run: Plus, the fluorescent lamps are cheaper to run than filament bulbs.
  • produce: Superkings and Regal are cheaper to produce than Lambert and Butler.

Modifying Another Word

  • relatively: Curiously, I also seem to recall that pizza's were relatively cheap.
  • considerably: The price of all these books is considerably cheaper than buying from your local bookshop.

Preposition: in

  • jersey: Excluded due car cheap in insurance jersey new to only national association.
  • uk: The measure car cheap in insurance uk might policy experts suggest premiums achieve full but were not.

Preposition: than

buying: It worked out a lot cheaper than buying from Acticare.

Browse dictionary entries near cheap

  1. ‹ ChE
  2. ‹ chazan
  3. ‹ chayote
  4. ‹ chay
  5. ‹ chaw
  6. ‹ Chavannes
  7. ‹ chauvinist
  8. ‹ chauvinism
  9. ‹ chautauqua
  10. ‹ chaussure
  1. cheap-jack ›
  2. cheap shot ›
  3. cheapen ›
  4. cheapie ›
  5. cheaply ›
  6. cheapo ›
  7. Cheapside ›
  8. cheapskate ›
  9. cheat ›
  10. cheated ›