cheap
[adjective]
Synonyms:
- inexpensive, bargain, cut-price, economical, keen, low-cost, low-priced, reasonable, reduced
- inferior, common, poor, second-rate, shoddy, tatty, tawdry, two a penny, worthless
- despicable, contemptible, mean

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Antonyms: costly, expensive, precious, noble
Contrasted words: dear, high, high-priced, capital, excellent, fine, good, first-class, first-rate, high-class, high-grade, superior, tip-top, top-notch
Related Words: bargain-basement, bargain-counter, cut-rate, reduced, dirt-cheap, cheap-jack, valueless, worthless, flashy, garish, meretricious, tawdry, brummagem, fake, phony, sham, bad, rotten, terrible, wrong, base, low, vile, measly, paltry, petty, trifling

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English Thesaurus: cheap, low, inexpensive, reasonable, economical, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. cheap¹ S1 W2 /tʃiːp/ adjective (comparative cheaper, superlative cheapest)
[Date: 1500-1600; Origin: good cheap 'at a good price, cheaply', from cheap 'trade, price' (11-18 centuries), from Old English ceap]

1. LOW PRICE not at all expensive, or lower in price than you expected Antonym : expensive:
cheap rail fares
the cheapest TV on the market
Property is cheaper in Spain than here.
a cheap shop (=one that sells goods cheaply)
The equipment is relatively cheap and simple to use.
This coat was dirt cheap (= very cheap - an informal expression)
cheap and cheerful British English (=simple and not expensive, but of reasonable quality)
a cheap and cheerful Italian restaurant

2. BAD QUALITY low in price and quality:
Cheap wine gives me a headache.
cheap jewellery
The furniture looked cheap and nasty.
a cheap imitation of the real thing

3. NOT EXPENSIVE TO USE not costing much to use or to employ Synonym : inexpensive
cheap to run/use/maintain etc
Gas appliances are usually cheaper to run than electric ones.
For the employer, a part-time workforce means a cheap labour supply.

4. NOT DESERVING RESPECT showing a lack of honesty, moral principles, or sincere feelings, so that you do not deserve respect:
She felt cheap and stupid, like a naughty child caught stealing.
You’re lying, aren’t you? You’re so cheap.
His remark was a cheap shot at short people.
another cheap political stunt
It was nothing but a cheap trick (=unkind trick).

5. NOT GENEROUS American English not liking to spend money Synonym : mean British English:
She’s too cheap to take a cab.

6. cheap thrill excitement that does not take much effort to get:
Bella will sleep with anyone for a cheap thrill.

7. life is cheap used to say that it is not important if people die

8. cheap at the price/at any price British English, cheap at twice the price so good, useful, or desirable that the cost is not important
—cheaply adverb:
a cheaply furnished room
They lived as cheaply as possible.
—cheapness noun [uncountable]:
the relative cheapness of housing

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. cheap² adverb
at a low price:
Air fares to Africa don’t come cheap (=are expensive).
I bought this house because it was going cheap (=selling for a lower price than usual).
She used to get meat cheap at the butcher’s.
They’re selling linen off cheap in Lewis’s.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

III. cheap³ noun
on the cheap spending less money than is needed to do something properly:
A clean environment cannot be had on the cheap.
holidaying on the cheap

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

cheap
adj., adv.
I. low price
VERBS be, be going a brand new radio going cheap
buy sth, sell sth They're selling fabrics cheap this week.
not come Shoes like that don't come cheap.
ADV. amazingly, extremely, incredibly, remarkably, ridiculously, very It's a good restaurant, and incredibly cheap.
comparatively, fairly, pretty, quite, reasonably, relatively | hardly, not exactly At £60,000 the car is not exactly cheap (= it is very expensive).
suspiciously The watch was suspiciously cheap; it was probably a fake.
buy/get sth on the cheap The school managed to get a couple of computers on the cheap.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

cheap
II. poor quality
VERBS be, look The glasses are plain without looking cheap.
PHRASES cheap and nasty cheap and nasty products with brand names you've never heard of

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

cheap
adjective
1.
BAD: The wages in Taiwan are very cheap.
GOOD: The wages in Taiwan are very low.
BAD: The monthly payments were cheaper than I'd expected.
GOOD: The monthly payments were lower/less than I'd expected.

Usage Note:
When you talk about costs, payments, rents, wages, salaries, incomes, expenses, taxes, fees etc, use low/high (NOT cheap/ expensive ): 'During the recession, prices stayed low.' 'People on low incomes have been severely hit.' 'Rents in Helsinki are very high compared to the rest of Finland.'
Note that price is sometimes used with cheap/expensive, but not in formal styles.

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2.
DUBIOUS: The train fare is very cheap.
GOOD: The train fare is very reasonable.
DUBIOUS: It's difficult to find a cheap flat in Tokyo.
GOOD: It's difficult to find an affordable flat in Tokyo.

Usage Note:
Choosing the right word: GENERAL WORDS and EXACT WORDS
Some words have a general meaning, e.g. big, beautiful, good, say, make, kill . These words are useful, especially when you begin to learn English, because you can make use of them in a wide range of situations:
A big meal, a big kitchen, a big mistake etc
For each general word, however, there is usually another word or phrase which comes closer to what you want to say, and which may also sound more natural in the context:
A substantial meal, a spacious kitchen, a serious mistake etc
A major step towards fluency in English is getting to know plenty of exact words which can replace the more general words you have learned. Here are some words which can be used instead of the general word kill .
Murder To murder someone is to kill them deliberately and unlawfully: ‘The key witness was murdered before he could testify.’ A person who does this is a murderer .
Massacre Massacre is used when you talk about the deliberate killing of a large number of people, especially people who cannot defend themselves: ‘Whole native populations were massacred when the European settles arrived.’
Slaughter Slaughter is used when you talk about the deliberate killing of a large number of people, especially in a particularly cruel way: ‘Men ran through the village burning houses and slaughtering anyone that got in their way.’
To slaughter an animal is to kill it for its meat, skin etc, or as part of a religious ceremony: ‘The children couldn’t understand why the cattle had to be slaughtered.’
Execute To execute someone (or put someone to death is to kill someone as a punishment, according to the law: ‘King Charles I was executed on 30th January 1639.’
Assassinate To assassinate someone is to deliberately kill a very famous or important person such as a political leader: ‘President Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth.’ A person who does this is an assassin .
Commit suicide To commit suicide (or take your own life ) is to deliberately kill yourself: ‘Rather than be taken prisoner, they preferred to commit suicide.’
Destroy To destroy an animal (or have it put down/to sleep ) is to kill in a way that does not cause pain, especially because it is sick or injured: ‘The cat had developed cancer and had to be destroyed.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

cheap costing very little money, or less than you expected:
My shoes were really cheap – they only cost £25.
The cheapest way to get to Chicago is to take the bus.
cheap flights
low low prices, rents, and fees do not cost a lot of money. Do not use cheap with these words:
Why is the share price so low?
You could get equally good accommodation elsewhere at a lower rent.
inexpensive especially written not expensive – use this especially about things that are of good quality, even though they do not cost a lot:
The furniture is inexpensive, but well made.
a simple inexpensive meal
a hotel that offers air-conditioned rooms at relatively inexpensive prices
reasonable a reasonable price seems fair because it is not too high:
The restaurant serves good food at reasonable prices.
Only £25 a night? That sounds reasonable.
economical cheap because you do not need to use a lot of money or fuel:
an economical car
It is usually more economical to buy in large quantities.
affordable cheap enough for most people to be able to buy or pay for:
affordable housing
Single mothers often have trouble finding affordable childcare.
The shop sells designer fashions at affordable prices.
competitive competitive prices and rates are as low as those charged by other shops or companies:
I think you’ll find our prices are extremely competitive.
The hotel offers a high standard of service at very competitive rates.
budget [only before noun] budget flights, airlines, hotels etc have specially low prices:
You can get a budget flight to Amsterdam for only £19.
a list of budget hotels for under $50 a night
budget accommodation for families with young children
be good/great value to be worth at least the price you pay for it, so that you feel pleased and think you have spent your money well:
The meals at Charlie’s Pizza are really good value.
The holiday is great value for money.
be a bargain informal to be extremely cheap:
I got this shirt when I was in Indonesia. It was a real bargain.
competitive price/rate

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲