1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

el cheapo

adjective

(ˌ)el-ˈchē-(ˌ)pō How to pronounce el cheapo (audio)
Definition of el cheaponext
1
as in cheap
costing little took an el cheapo vacation, staying at a friend's cabin the whole time

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in terrible
of low quality he bought el cheapo sneakers from someone on a street corner

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for el cheapo
  1. cheap
  2. terrible
  3. reasonable
  4. poor
  5. inexpensive
  6. bad
  7. affordable
  8. inferior
Adjective
  • But that does not mean residents will suddenly see a cheaper water bill.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2026
  • His latest book, Three Tenses, a well as his Pulitzer Prize finalist Same Bed Different Dreams, are complex without resorting to gimmicks or cheap obfuscation that implies depth.
    — James Folta, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of cheap
Adjective
  • As a rookie, the Pats lost plenty, but that was with a terrible roster around him.
    — Chad Graff, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The company reported another terrible quarter and cut its full-year outlook for the second time in three months.
    — Alyson Shontell, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of terrible
Adjective
  • The judge then reread his instructions on reasonable doubt before sending them back to continue deliberating.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Deadlocked jurors have deliberated seven days, with one panelist accused of misapplying reasonable doubt, exposing deep divisions over whether the Massachusetts mother is criminally responsible for killing her three young children.
    — Michael Casey, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of reasonable
Adjective
  • The following season, Chelsea topped their Champions League group, but poor Premier League form saw Mourinho sacked in mid-December.
    — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Many are in poor shape, with thin, uninsulated walls, leaky windows, old or broken swamp coolers and electrical systems that can't always handle air conditioners.
    — Alejandra Borunda, NPR, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of poor
Adjective
  • An inexpensive model call can become a significant operating expense when repeated millions of times.
    — Nitin Gupta, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Plastic is one of humanity’s most useful, flexible, and inexpensive inventions.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 13 Sep. 2026
Definition of inexpensive
Adjective
  • Jeffrey Katzenberg, then a studio executive at Paramount Pictures, hand-picked the Happy Days star for the job, but at the time, Winkler had a bad feeling about accepting it.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
  • How many of us make things worse More seasoned Internet users—a fair number who read this site—are quick to dismiss the attack.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of bad
Adjective
  • Berman has argued that the development is out of context and doubted the claims of affordable housing promised by the developer.
    — David Freedlander, Curbed, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The 660-square-foot Penthouse Suite is one of the smaller and more affordable options, where a family of four or fewer won’t feel short on space.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of affordable
Adjective
  • Far from inferior, these trees, which can look like pines with long droopy needles and reddish-orange flowers, host a large diversity of bugs beyond Swiftiephylys, creating a popular hangout for the six-legged beasts.
    — Brad Balukjian, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Gwyn’s, however, who Richard considers to be his inferior, has jettisoned into success and is in the running for a huge literary prize.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of inferior
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

elbows
el cheapo
elder
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“El cheapo.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/el%20cheapo. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of quorum

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All