cheap

cheap¹ W2S1 [tʃi:p] adj comparative cheaper superlative cheapest

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1¦(low price)¦

2¦(bad quality)¦

3¦(not expensive to use)¦

4¦(not deserving respect)¦

5¦(not generous)¦

6 cheap thrill

7 life is cheap

8 cheap at the price/at any price

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[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

≠ ↑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 informal (=very cheap) .

cheap and cheerful

BrE (=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

= ↑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)¦

AmE not liking to spend money

British Equivalent: mean

▪ 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

BrE cheap at twice the price

so good, useful, or desirable that the cost is not important

>cheaply adv

▪ a cheaply furnished room

▪ They lived as cheaply as possible.

>cheapness n [U]

▪ the relative cheapness of housing

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WORD FOCUS: words meaning cheap

reasonable not too expensive

economical used about cars, systems, or methods that do not cost a lot of money to use

be good value to be well worth the price you pay

be a bargain to be very cheap

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cheap ²

cheap² adv

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.

cheap ³

cheap³ n

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