— cheapish , adj. — cheapishly , adv. — cheaply , adv. — cheapness , n.
/cheep/ , adj., cheaper, cheapest , adv. , n.
adj.
1. costing very little; relatively low in price; inexpensive: a cheap dress.
2. costing little labor or trouble: Words are cheap.
3. charging low prices: a very cheap store.
4. of little account; of small value; mean; shoddy: cheap conduct; cheap workmanship.
5. embarrassed; sheepish: He felt cheap about his mistake.
6. obtainable at a low rate of interest: when money is cheap.
7. of decreased value or purchasing power, as currency depreciated due to inflation.
8. stingy; miserly: He's too cheap to buy his own brother a cup of coffee.
9. cheap at twice the price , exceedingly inexpensive: I found this old chair for eight dollars - it would be cheap at twice the price.
adv.
10. at a low price; at small cost: He is willing to sell cheap.
n.
11. on the cheap , Informal. inexpensively; economically: She enjoys traveling on the cheap.
[ bef. 900; ME cheep (short for phrases, as good cheep cheap, lit., good bargain), OE ceap bargain, market, trade; c. G Kauf, ON kaup; all caupo innkeeper, tradesman; see CHAPMAN ]
Syn. 1, 4. CHEAP, INEXPENSIVE agree in their suggestion of low cost. CHEAP now usually suggests shoddiness, inferiority, showy imitation, complete unworthiness, and the like: a cheap kind of fur. INEXPENSIVE emphasizes lowness of price (although more expensive than CHEAP) and suggests that the value is fully equal to the cost: an inexpensive dress. It is often used as an evasion for the more specific CHEAP. 4. paltry, low, poor, inferior, base.
Ant. 1. costly, dear, expensive. 8. generous, charitable.