# cheap

/ˈtʃip/ (US) · /tʃˈiːp/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/cheap
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. low price

adjective · CEFR A1

costing very little money or less than you expected.

For teachers: available at a low price or reduced in cost relative to the market average.

- The tickets were very cheap because we bought them three months in advance.
- The airline offers cheap fares to major European hubs, provided that passengers are willing to travel with only a small carry-on bag.

### 2. poor quality

adjective · CEFR B1

made badly or using low-quality materials.

For teachers: of inferior quality or shoddy workmanship; lacking value despite the low price.

- I bought a cheap umbrella that broke the first time it rained.
- The furniture felt cheap and flimsy, suggesting it would not survive a single house move without falling apart.

### 3. stingy

adjective · CEFR B2 · Informal

unwilling to spend money, even when you should.

For teachers: unwilling to spend money; excessively frugal in a way that others find annoying or embarrassing.

- He is so cheap that he never leaves a tip at the restaurant.
- Her colleagues considered her cheap because she always managed to disappear whenever it was her turn to buy a round of drinks.

### 4. unfair or unkind

adjective · CEFR C1 · Informal

unfair or showing a lack of respect.

For teachers: describing a comment or action that is unfair, unkind, or achieved without much effort.

- That was a cheap shot at his appearance during the debate.
- The politician resorted to cheap tricks and personal insults rather than addressing the actual substance of the new policy proposal.

### 5. computing resources

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

using very little of a computer's power or memory.

For teachers: requiring minimal computational resources, such as processing time or memory, to execute.

- This new algorithm is very cheap to run on older mobile phones.
- The developers prioritised a computationally cheap solution to ensure the application remained responsive even on low-end hardware.

### 6. at a low cost

adverb · CEFR B1 · Informal

for a low price.

For teachers: at a low price; used as a flat adverb in informal speech.

- I managed to get this bike cheap from a friend who was moving away.
- They bought the property cheap during the recession and sold it for a significant profit five years later.

Usage: Often used after verbs like 'buy', 'sell', or 'get'.

## Examples

- These shoes are very cheap.
- The toy was cheap and broke the first day we bought it.
- His refusal to contribute to the gift was seen not as frugal but as a cheap gesture that disappointed everyone.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.