Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, 8th edition

© Oxford University Press, 2010

 cheap adjective, adverb

BrE /tʃiːp/

NAmE /tʃiːp/

adjective

(cheap•er, cheap•est)

LOW PRICE

1 costing little money or less money than you expected

inexpensive

cheap fares

Personal computers are cheap and getting cheaper.

Cycling is a cheap way to get around.

The printer isn't exactly cheap at £200.

immigrant workers, used as a source of cheap labour (= workers who are paid very

little, especially unfairly)

A good education is not cheap.

(BrE) Calls cost 36p a minute cheap rate.

see also dirt cheap

expensive

2 charging low prices

a cheap restaurant/hotel

a cheap taxi firm

(BrE) We found a cheap and cheerful cafe (= one that is simple and charges low prices

but is pleasant).

expensive

POOR QUALITY

3 (disapproving) low in price and quality

cheap perfume/jewellery/shoes

(BrE) a cheap and nasty bottle of wine

UNKIND

4 unpleasant or unkind and rather obvious

I was tired of his cheap jokes at my expense.

a comedian who is always looking for cheap laughs

to score a cheap political advantage

LOW STATUS

5 (disapproving) having a low status and therefore not deserving respect

He's just a cheap crook.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, 8th edition

© Oxford University Press, 2010

His treatment of her made her feel cheap (= ashamed, because she had lost her respect

for herself).

NOT GENEROUS

6 (NAmE)

(BrE mean)

(informal, disapproving) not liking to spend money

Don't be so cheap!

cheap•ness /BrE ˈtʃiːpnəs; NAmE ˈtʃiːpnəs/ noun [uncountable]

cheap at the ˈprice

(also cheap at ˈtwice the price)

(BrE also cheap at ˈhalf the price)

so good or useful that the cost does not seem too much

To buy all the recommended equipment is expensive, but as an investment for the future it

is cheap at the price.

on the ˈcheap

spending less money than you usually need to spend to do sth

a guide to decorating your house on the cheap

to acquire valuable works of art on the cheap

more at life is cheap at life

adverb

(comparative cheap•er, no superlative)(informal)

for a low price

I got this dress cheap in a sale.

be ˌgoing ˈcheap

to be offered for sale at a lower price than usual

Look in the paper to see if there are any computers going cheap.

sth does not come ˈcheap

something is expensive

Violins like this don't come cheap.