cheap
gb/t͡ʃˈip/ us/t͡ʃˈip/
A1
English
~ 1600
Senses
0 senses
adjective
A1
property
1
Low in price
Not costing much money.
Usage pattern:
[something] is cheap
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'cheap' with 'inexpensive'. While both mean low-priced, 'cheap' can also suggest poor quality, so be careful with tone.
Synonyms
inexpensive (More neutral or formal; lacks the possible negative connotation of 'cheap'.)
Antonyms
expensive (Means costing a lot of money, the opposite of low-priced.)
Collocations
cheap price
|cheap goods
|cheap flight
|cheap hotel
|cheap ticket
Themes
shopping
|daily life
|money
|finance
|daily_life
Examples
- This shirt was really cheap at the market.
- We found a cheap flight to Paris.
- The restaurant is cheap but the food is great.
- It's hard to find cheap rent in the city.
- They stayed in a cheap hotel near the airport.
Learner examples
- The book is cheap.
- This bag is cheap.
- We ate at a cheap cafe.
- The shoes are cheap.
- I bought a cheap ticket.
adjective
A2
property
2
Poor in quality or value
Badly made or not good in quality.
Usage pattern:
[something] is cheap
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'cheap' to mean low price without realizing it can sound insulting about quality.
Synonyms
shoddy (Stronger negative connotation; emphasizes poor workmanship.)
Antonyms
high-quality (Means well-made and durable, opposite of poorly made.)
Collocations
cheap material
|cheap furniture
|cheap product
|cheap imitation
Themes
evaluation
|daily life
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- These shoes are cheap and fall apart quickly.
- The chair looks nice but feels cheap.
- He bought a cheap watch that stopped working after a week.
- The apartment had cheap fixtures and thin walls.
Learner examples
- My phone is cheap and breaks easily.
- The table is cheap and not strong.
- This bag looks cheap.
- The toy is cheap and broke today.
adjective
informal
B1
property
3
Unwilling to spend money
Not wanting to spend money.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is cheap
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'cheap' meaning low price with this sense describing a person’s behavior. Context usually makes it clear.
Synonyms
stingy ('Stingy' is slightly more formal and often stronger in criticism.)
Antonyms
generous (Willing to give or spend freely, opposite of unwilling to spend.)
Collocations
cheap person
|cheap boss
Themes
personality
|money
|finance
|relationships
Examples
- Don't be so cheap—buy her a gift!
- He's too cheap to leave a tip.
- My uncle is cheap and never offers to pay.
Learner examples
- She is cheap and never buys coffee.
- He is cheap with his money.
- My friend is cheap and doesn't share.
adjective
informal
B2
property
4
Low moral standards or respectability
Not showing good taste or respect; low moral standards.
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] is cheap
Synonyms
tawdry (Suggests showy but of low moral or artistic value.)
Antonyms
respectable (Having good social or moral standards, opposite of vulgar or immoral.)
Collocations
cheap behavior
|cheap trick
Themes
character
|judgment
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- That was a cheap trick to win the game.
- The ad felt cheap and offensive.
- He made a cheap joke about her appearance.
Learner examples
- The movie was cheap and not nice.
- He told a cheap joke about her.
- It was a cheap way to win.
Grammar
Dictionary form
cheap
IPA
GB/t͡ʃˈip/
US/t͡ʃˈip/
Syllables & stress
cheap (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (cheap)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: cheap
- Comparative: cheaper
- Superlative: cheapest
Word family
Forms
cheaper
adjective
cheapest
adjective
Core family
cheaply
adverb
Related words
cheapness
noun
Negative and opposite forms
expensive
adjective A2
Advanced or less common
cheapen
verb
Expressions
as cheap as chips
1/ˈæz t͡ʃˈip ˈæz t͡ʃˈɪps/
idiom
informal
Very inexpensive (UK)
Very inexpensive; costing very little money (used in British English).
Examples
- These sandwiches are as cheap as chips at that cafe.
- Clothes there are as cheap as chips.
cheap shot
1/t͡ʃˈip ʃˈɑt/
idiom
informal
Unfair remark or attack
An unkind or unfair comment or action, often made when the other person cannot defend themselves.
Examples
- That comment about his family was a cheap shot.
- Criticizing her for that mistake was a cheap shot.
come cheap
1/kˈʌm t͡ʃˈip/
fixed phrase
Be obtained for little cost or effort
To be available for little money or with little effort.
Examples
- Good quality doesn't come cheap.
- Friendship like that doesn't come cheap.
on the cheap
1/ˈɔn ðə t͡ʃˈip/
fixed phrase
informal
At low cost
Doing something while spending very little money.
Examples
- They traveled through Europe on the cheap.
- We managed to renovate the kitchen on the cheap.
dirt cheap
1/dˈɚt t͡ʃˈip/
idiom
informal
Extremely inexpensive
Very, very cheap; costing almost nothing.
Examples
- These tickets were dirt cheap!
- The old car was dirt cheap but worked fine.
dirt cheap
2/dˈɚt t͡ʃˈip/
idiom
informal
extremely cheap in price
Very, very cheap; costing almost nothing.
Examples
- These tickets were dirt cheap, so I bought four of them.
- The hotel was dirt cheap, but it was clean and safe.
- You can get fresh fruit dirt cheap at the market near closing time.