1 a : not costing a lot of money
▪ I always buy the cheapest brand of cereal. ▪ a place where you can get a cheap [=inexpensive] meal ▪ Rent isn't cheap here. ▪ cheap imported goods — see also dirt cheap
b : of low quality : not worth a lot of money
▪ curtains made of cheap material ▪ He wears a cheap watch that's always breaking. ▪ cheap perfume 2 : charging low prices
▪ This gas station is cheaper than the one by the highway. ▪ We ate at a cheap [=inexpensive] restaurant. 3 : not willing to share or spend money
▪ He was too cheap [=stingy] to pay for the dinner. ▪ Don't be cheap—buy good quality tires for your car. — often + with ▪ My uncle is cheap with his money. 4 : not hard to do or get
▪ It was a cheap [=easy] victory over a lousy team. ▪ He likes to harass the neighbor's dog as a cheap thrill. [=a minor thing done for entertainment] 5 : having little or no self-respect : ashamed of being used, abused, etc., by other people
▪ He felt cheap letting other people treat him like that.
▪ I always buy the cheapest brand of cereal. ▪ a place where you can get a cheap [=inexpensive] meal ▪ Rent isn't cheap here. ▪ cheap imported goods — see also dirt cheap
b : of low quality : not worth a lot of money
▪ curtains made of cheap material ▪ He wears a cheap watch that's always breaking. ▪ cheap perfume
▪ This gas station is cheaper than the one by the highway. ▪ We ate at a cheap [=inexpensive] restaurant.
▪ He was too cheap [=stingy] to pay for the dinner. ▪ Don't be cheap—buy good quality tires for your car. — often + with ▪ My uncle is cheap with his money.
▪ It was a cheap [=easy] victory over a lousy team. ▪ He likes to harass the neighbor's dog as a cheap thrill. [=a minor thing done for entertainment]
▪ He felt cheap letting other people treat him like that.
on the cheap
informal : at the lowest possible cost : in a cheap way
▪ The movie was made on the cheap. ▪ They built the house on the cheap.
▪ The movie was made on the cheap. ▪ They built the house on the cheap.
— cheap·ly adverb [more cheaply; most cheaply]
▪ It is not easy to live cheaply in this city. ▪ The radio was cheaply made and didn't last long.
▪ It is not easy to live cheaply in this city. ▪ The radio was cheaply made and didn't last long.
— cheap·ness noun [noncount]
▪ The cheapness of the stock made it an appealing buy. ▪ My mother-in-law's cheapness [=stinginess] can be annoying.
▪ The cheapness of the stock made it an appealing buy. ▪ My mother-in-law's cheapness [=stinginess] can be annoying.







