cheap

adjective

\ ˈchēp

Definition of cheap

(Entry 1 of 3)

1a : charging or obtainable at a low price a good cheap hotel cheap tickets

b : purchasable below the going price or the real value

c : depreciated in value (as by currency inflation) cheap dollars

2a : of inferior quality or worth : tawdry, sleazy cheap workmanship

b : stingy My uncle was too cheap to pay for dinner.

c : contemptible because of lack of any fine, lofty, or redeeming qualities feeling cheap I felt cheap, full of shame and guilt

3 : gained or done with little effort a cheap victory talk is cheap

4 of money : obtainable at a low rate of interest

cheap

adverb

Definition of cheap (Entry 2 of 3)

: for little cost : cheaply was able to buy it cheap "It all seems to centre round that bust of Napoleon which I bought for this very room about four months ago. I picked it up cheap from Harding Brothers, two doors from the High Street Station."— Arthur Conan Doyle

cheap

noun

Definition of cheap (Entry 3 of 3)

obsolete

: bargain

on the cheap

: at minimum expense : cheaply did the job on the cheap

Other Words from cheap Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about cheap

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Other Words from cheap

Adjective

cheapish \ ˈchē-pish

\ adjective

cheapishly adverb

cheaply \ ˈchē-plē

\ adverb

cheapness noun

Examples of cheap in a Sentence

Adjective

I always buy the cheapest brand of cereal. curtains made of cheap material He wears a cheap watch that's always breaking. This gas station is cheaper than the one by the highway. Don't be cheap—buy good quality tires for your car.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

In a study reported today in Science Robotics, Hang and colleagues designed and 3D printed bird-like legs for a drone, providing a simple, novel, cheap approach to letting uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) perch. — John Wenz, Popular Mechanics, "Clever New Landing Gear Allow Drones To Set Down Like Birds or Bats," 13 Mar. 2019 Fashion Nova has made no secret of its quick and cheap dupes of the Kardashian and Jenner’s outfit in the past, even once recreating all the looks the sisters wore to Kylie’s birthday party. — Alyssa Hardy, Teen Vogue, "Imitation In Fashion is a Huge Problem, But It's Probably Not Going Anywhere," 13 Mar. 2019 But his replacement will also need his ability to pick up the cultural zeitgeist, stay one step ahead, and retain the crucial juxtaposition between chic and cheap that worked so well. — Andrea Felsted, The Seattle Times, "Karl Lagerfeld’s legacy is more than just Chanel suits," 19 Feb. 2019 Luckily, there's a solution that's both super easy-to-use and super cheap: the TubShroom. — Brittney Morgan, House Beautiful, "This Little Gadget Will Save Your Shower Drain From Clogs, And It's Only $13," 22 Jan. 2019 Getting the official seal of approval from Lucasfilm didn’t come cheap. — Jon Porter, The Verge, "Officially licensed Star Wars keycaps are here, and they cost $250," 6 Dec. 2018 Prices are likely to be similar to last year, if not a bit cheaper. — Sarah Jacoby, SELF, "Heads Up: You Can Still Sign Up for Obamacare and Open Enrollment Is Going On Right Now," 14 Nov. 2018 Even eggs worth three or four thousand dollars looked tawdry and cheap. — Olivia Martin, Town & Country, "The Story of the Incredible Paris Apartment in The Romanoffs Episode 1," 12 Oct. 2018 Old windows are very hard to replace, but much easier and often cheaper to restore to modern standards. — Kate Wagner, Curbed, "To renovate or not to renovate?," 5 Sep. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cheap.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.