cheap

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cheap

not expensive; poor; shoddy

Not to be confused with:

cheep – to chirp or peep

cheap

(chēp)

adj. 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.

3. Achieved with little effort: a cheap victory; cheap laughs.

4. Of or considered of small value: in wartime, when life was cheap.

5. Of poor quality; inferior: a cheap toy.

6. Worthy of no respect; vulgar or contemptible: a cheap gangster.

7. Stingy; miserly.

adv. cheaper, cheapest

Inexpensively: got the new car cheap.

Idioms:

cheap at twice the price

Extremely inexpensive.

on the cheap

By inexpensive means; cheaply: traveled to Europe on the cheap.

[From Middle English (god) chep, (good) price, purchase, bargain, from Old English cēap, trade, from Latin caupō, shopkeeper.]

cheap′ly adv.

cheap′ness n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

cheap

(tʃiːp)

adj

1. costing relatively little; inexpensive; good value

2. charging low prices: a cheap hairdresser.

3. of poor quality; shoddy: cheap furniture; cheap and nasty.

4. worth relatively little: promises are cheap.

5. not worthy of respect; vulgar

6. ashamed; embarrassed: to feel cheap.

7. stingy; miserly

8. informal mean; despicable: a cheap liar.

9. cheap as chips See chip¹¹

10. dirt cheap informal extremely inexpensive

on the cheap informal Brit at a low cost

adv

at very little cost

[Old English ceap barter, bargain, price, property; related to Old Norse kaup bargain, Old High German kouf trade, Latin caupō innkeeper]

ˈcheapish adj

ˈcheaply adv

ˈcheapness n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

cheap

(tʃip)

adj. -er, -est,
adv., n. adj.

1. costing very little; relatively low in price; inexpensive.

2. charging low prices: a cheap store.

3. shoddy or inferior.

4. costing little labor or trouble: Talk is cheap.

5. mean or contemptible: a cheap joke.

6. of little account or value: Life was cheap.

7. embarrassed; sheepish.

8. stingy; miserly.

9. (of money) able to be borrowed at low interest.

10. of decreased value or purchasing power.

adv.

11. at a low price or small cost.

12. on the cheap, inexpensively; economically.

Idiom.

[before 900; Middle English chep (short for phrases, as god chep(e) inexpensive), Old English cēap bargain, < Latin caupō innkeeper, tradesman; compare chapman]

cheap′ly, adv.

cheap′ness, n.

syn: cheap, inexpensive agree in their suggestion of low cost. cheap now often suggests shoddiness, inferiority, showy imitation, unworthiness, and the like: a cheap fabric. inexpensive emphasizes lowness of price (although more expensive than cheap) and suggests that the value is fully equal to the cost: an inexpensive dress. It is often used as an evasion for the more pejorative cheap.

cheap

– cheaply

1. 'cheap' as an adjective

Cheap goods or services cost less than other goods or services of the same type.

...cheap red wine.

...cheap plastic buckets.

A solid fuel cooker is cheap to run.

2. 'cheap' as an adverb

In conversation, cheap can also be an adverb, but only with verbs which refer to the buying, selling, or hiring of things.

I thought you got it very cheap.

You can hire boots pretty cheap.

3. 'cheaply'

With other verbs, the adverb you use is cheaply.

You can play golf comparatively cheaply.

In fact you can travel just as cheaply by British Airways.

4. 'low'

You do not say that things such as wages, costs, or payments are 'cheap'. You say that they are low.

If your family has a low income, you can apply for a student grant.

...tasty meals at a fairly low cost.

Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Adj.	1.	cheap - relatively low in price or charging low prices; "it would have been cheap at twice the price"; "inexpensive family restaurants" inexpensive expensive - high in price or charging high prices; "expensive clothes"; "an expensive shop"
	2.	cheap - tastelessly showy; "a flash car"; "a flashy ring"; "garish colors"; "a gaudy costume"; "loud sport shirts"; "a meretricious yet stylish book"; "tawdry ornaments" flash, flashy, garish, gaudy, gimcrack, tawdry, trashy, brassy, loud, meretricious, tacky, tatty tasteless - lacking aesthetic or social taste
	3.	cheap - of very poor quality; flimsy bum, cheesy, chintzy, crummy, punk, sleazy, tinny colloquialism - a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech inferior - of low or inferior quality
	4.	cheap - embarrassingly stingy chinchy, chintzy stingy, ungenerous - unwilling to spend; "she practices economy without being stingy"; "an ungenerous response to the appeal for funds"

cheap

adjective

1. inexpensive, sale, economy, reduced, keen, reasonable, bargain, low-priced, low-cost, cut-price, economical, cheapo (informal) Smoke detectors are cheap and easy to put up. People want good service at a cheap price.
inexpensive dear, expensive, steep, costly, pricey (informal)

2. inferior, poor, worthless, second-rate, shoddy, tawdry, tatty, trashy, substandard, low-rent (informal, chiefly U.S.), two-bit (U.S. & Canad. slang), crappy (slang), two a penny, rubbishy, dime-a-dozen (informal), piss-poor (slang), tinhorn (U.S. slang) Don't resort to cheap copies; save up for the real thing.
inferior good, valuable, decent, superior, elegant, admirable, high-class, tasteful

3. (Informal) despicable, mean, low, base, vulgar, sordid, contemptible, scurvy, scungy (Austral. & N.Z.) That was a cheap trick to play on anyone.
despicable good, decent, generous, charitable, admirable, honourable

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

cheap

adjective

1. Low in price:

inexpensive, low, low-cost, low-priced.

2. Of decidedly inferior quality:

base, lousy, miserable, paltry, poor, rotten, shoddy, sleazy, trashy.

Informal: cheesy.

Slang: crummy, schlocky.

3. Ungenerously or pettily reluctant to spend money:

close, close-fisted, costive, hard-fisted, mean, miserly, niggard, niggardly, parsimonious, penny-pinching, penurious, petty, pinching, stingy, tight, tightfisted.

Translations

رخيصرَخيصرَخِيصرديء النوع، رَديء النَّوْع، رَخيص

levnýbídnýlaciný

billigsimpeltarvelig

billig günstig minderwertig preisgünstig preiswert

φτηνός

malmultekosta

barato malo ordinario

ارزان

halpahuonokehno

bon marché de mauvaise qualité économique

jeftinnekvalitetan

értéktelenolcsó

lélegur, ódÿr, fyrirlitleguródÿr

economico scadente a buon mercato conveniente di valore scadente

安い安価激安あんかげきやす

싼

pigiaipigumaspigusprastaiprastas

lētsseklszemas kvalitātes

goedkoop schamel waardeloos betaalbaar

billig tarvelig

tani

barato

дешёвый низкопробный дёшево дешевый

poceniskopcenen

jeftinnekvalitetanјефтиннеквалитетан

billig

อย่างถูก

ucuzadîbayağı

rẻ

便宜的粗俗的低劣的

cheap

[tʃiːp]

A. ADJ (cheaper (compar) (cheapest (superl)))

1. (= inexpensive) [goods, labour, shop, ticket] → barato; [imports] → a bajo precio; [loan, credit] → a bajo interés
it's ten pence cheaper → es diez peniques más barato
it's cheaper to buy than to rent → sale más económico or barato comprar que alquilar
gas cookers are cheaper to run → las cocinas de gas salen or resultan más económicas
these cars are very cheap to produce → la fabricación de estos coches sale muy barata
cheap labour → mano f de obra barata
cheap money → dinero m barato
dresses at ridiculously cheap prices → vestidos a unos precios regalados
it's cheap at the price → está bien de precio, es barato para lo que es
that's cheap at half the price! → ¡es más que regalado!
cheap rate → tarifa f reducida
cheap and cheerful → bueno, bonito y barato
see also dirt-cheap

2. (= poor-quality) [product] → barato, corriente
beware of cheap imitations! → ¡esté al tanto de imitaciones baratas!
cheap and nasty → ordinario, chabacano

3. (= vulgar, mean) [joke] → ordinario, chabacano; [behaviour, tactics] → rastrero; [remark, question] → de mal gusto; [opportunism, sensationalism] → barato; [promises] → fácil
a cheap laugh → la risa fácil
cheap thrills → placeres mpl baratos
a cheap trick → una mala pasada

4. (= not deserving respect) → bajo, indigno
to feel cheap → sentirse humillado
they hold life cheap there → allí la vida no vale nada
to look cheap → parecer ordinario, tener un aspecto ordinario
to make o.s. cheap → rebajarse, humillarse

B. ADV [buy, sell] → barato
it's going cheap → se vende barato
quality doesn't come cheap → la calidad hay que pagarla

C. N on the cheap [decorate, travel] → en plan barato
to do sth on the cheap → hacer algo en plan barato
to buy or get sth on the cheap → comprar algo por poco dinero or a bajo precio

D. CPD cheap shot N → golpe m bajo

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

cheap

[ˈtʃiːp]

adj

(= inexpensive) → bon marché inv, pas cher(chère)
a cheap T-shirt → un T-shirt bon marché, un T-shirt pas cher
to be cheap → être bon marché
to be cheap to run (= car, appliance) → être économique
life is cheap → la vie a peu de valeur
cheaper → moins cher(chère)
significantly cheaper → nettement moins cher(chère)

(= reduced) [ticket] → à prix réduit; [fare, rate] → réduit(e)

(= poor quality) → de qualité médiocre

[joke] → facile; [remark, point] → facile

adv → à bon marché, pour pas cher
to buy sth cheap → acheter qch pour pas cher
to sell sth cheap → vendre qch pour pas cher

n
to do sth on the cheap (pejorative) → faire qch au rabais

cheap

adj (+er)

also adv (= inexpensive) → billig; I got it cheap → ich habe es billig gekriegt; it’s going cheap → es ist billig zu haben; it doesn’t come cheap → es ist nicht billig; cheap and cheerful → preiswert; it’s cheap at the price → es ist spottbillig; to hold something cheap → etw gering achten; human life is cheap → ein Menschenleben ist nicht viel wert

(= poor quality) → billig, minderwertig; everything they sell is cheap and nasty → sie verkaufen nur Ramsch

(fig: = mean, shallow, sexually cheap) joke, flattery, thrill, girl → billig; person, behaviour, appearance → ordinär; to feel cheap → sich (dat) → schäbig vorkommen; how can you be so cheap! → wie kannst du nur so gemein sein!; to make oneself cheap → sich entwürdigen; (by loose living) → sich wegwerfen

n on the cheap → auf die billige Tour (inf); to buy something on the cheap (inf) → etw für einen Pappenstiel (inf) → or einen Apfel und ein Ei (inf) → kaufen; to make something on the cheap (inf) → etw ganz billig produzieren

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

cheap

[tʃiːp]

1. adj (-er (comp) (-est (superl))) (low cost, goods) → a buon mercato, a basso or buon prezzo, economico/a; (reduced, ticket) → a prezzo ridotto; (fare) → ridotto/a; (poor quality) → scadente, di cattiva qualità; (vulgar, mean, joke, behaviour, trick) → volgare, grossolano/a, dozzinale
it was cheap at the price → sono stati soldi ben spesi
this stuff is cheap and nasty → questa roba è veramente scadente
cheaper → meno caro/a, più economico/a
cheap money (Fin) → denaro a basso tasso di interesse
to feel cheap (about) → provare vergogna or vergognarsi (di or per)

2. adv → a buon prezzo or mercato

3. n on the cheap (fam) → a risparmio

cheap

(tʃiːp) adjective

1. low in price. Eggs are cheap just now.

2. of poor quality; vulgar; contemptible. cheap jewellery; a cheap trick.

ˈcheaply adverb

ˈcheapness noun

cheap

→ رَخِيص levný billig billig φτηνός barato halpa bon marché jeftin conveniente 安い 싼 goedkoop billig tani barato дешевый billig อย่างถูก ucuz rẻ 便宜的

cheap

a. barato-a.

References in classic literature ?

A yellow dog that's spent most of his life in a cheap New York flat, sleeping in a corner on an old sateen underskirt (the one she spilled port wine on at the Lady Longshoremen's banquet), mustn't be expcctcd to perform any tricks with the art of speech.

View in context

She used to stay in the country as a child, and the impression she had retained of it was that the country was a refuge from all the unpleasantness of the town, that life there, though not luxurious--Dolly could easily make up her mind to that--was cheap and comfortable; that there was plenty of everything, everything was cheap, everything could be got, and children were happy.

View in context

The common workman who sacrificed sixpence from his week's wages for a cheap photograph to present to his sweet.

View in context

It was quite the custom, after dinner, for many of the better classes of society, especially when entertaining curious Easterners, to spend an hour or several in motoring from dance-hall to dance-hall and cheap cabaret to cheap cabaret.

View in context

I present it, unaltered, in the Cheap Edition; and such of my opinions as it expresses, are quite unaltered too.

View in context

With his vivid fancy he seemed to see the surging throng round the pit-door of theatres, and the glitter of cheap restaurants, bars where men, half drunk, sat on high stools talking with barmaids; and under the street lamps the mysterious passing of dark crowds bent upon pleasure.

View in context

She has ter guess it more'n half the time--only it'll be somethin' CHEAP! She knows that without no tellin'."

View in context

I got the new coat as cheap as I could, and I went through all the rest of it as cheap as I could.

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Cheap telephones, yet fairly good, had by this time been made possible by the improvements of the Bell engineers; and stories of what could be done by telephone became the favorite gossip of the day.

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Thedora tells me that a retired civil servant of her acquaintance has a uniform to sell--one cut to regulation pattern and in good repair, as well as likely to go very cheap. Now, DO not tell me that you have not got the money, for I know from your own lips that you HAVE.

View in context

He that is too much in anything, so that he giveth another occasion of satiety, maketh himself cheap. To apply one's self to others, is good; so it be with demonstration, that a man doth it upon regard, and not upon facility.

View in context

Everybody acquainted with Bath may remember the difficulties of crossing Cheap Street at this point; it is indeed a street of so impertinent a nature, so unfortunately connected with the great London and Oxford roads, and the principal inn of the city, that a day never passes in which parties of ladies, however important their business, whether in quest of pastry, millinery, or even (as in the present case) of young men, are not detained on one side or other by carriages, horsemen, or carts.