cheaper
cheaper — adjective
1. costing less money than something else, or less than you expected to pay
costing less money than something else, or less than you expected to pay
The bus to Lyon is much cheaper than the train, so Élise took the bus.
comparative pattern: cheaper than + noun
Lakshmi found a cheaper laptop online than the one at the shop.
cheaper + noun + than + comparison
Apples are cheaper in autumn when local farmers bring them to market.
Asher chose the cheaper of the two bicycles because he wanted to save money.
Buying milk in a large bottle is cheaper than buying two small ones.
- less expensive
neutral, longer phrase; preferred in formal writing
- more affordable
focuses on fitting a budget rather than the raw price
- lower-priced
used before a noun; common in shopping or retail contexts
- more expensive
costing more money
- pricier
informal; often used for a noticeable jump in price
- dearer
British English; somewhat old-fashioned but still used
文法句型
X is cheaper than Y
the cheaper of the two
用法筆記
Frequently followed by 'than' to introduce the thing being compared. When 'than' is omitted, the comparison must be clear from context.
常見錯誤
2. charging lower prices than other similar shops, restaurants, or businesses
charging lower prices than other similar shops, restaurants, or businesses
The bakery on the corner is cheaper than the one inside the supermarket.
subject = venue; cheaper than + venue
Nadia goes to a cheaper hair salon near the train station every month.
cheaper + venue noun
There must be a cheaper supermarket somewhere in this neighbourhood.
Marco picked a cheaper restaurant for dinner because the group was on a budget.
- more affordable
polite, neutral; suitable for any business type
- budget
used before a noun (budget hotel, budget airline)
- more expensive
charging higher prices
- pricier
informal alternative
用法筆記
Subject is usually a shop, restaurant, hotel, or service provider. Distinguish from sense 1, where the subject is the product itself rather than the seller.
3. lower in price than expected while still being enjoyable or worthwhile — a bette
lower in price than expected while still being enjoyable or worthwhile — a better deal than similar choices
The little café behind the museum was cheaper and tastier than the famous one nearby.
cheaper + and + positive adjective (good-value reading)
Yan recommended a guesthouse in Kyoto that was cheaper but just as comfortable as a hotel.
cheaper but + positive contrast
The local night market sells dumplings that are cheaper and much more delicious than the chain restaurants.
Elena says the morning film tickets are cheaper and just as good as the evening ones.
- better value
a noun phrase; covers both low price and good quality
- overpriced
costing more than the quality deserves
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: this reading is signalled by pairing 'cheaper' with a positive quality word (and tastier, but just as good). Without that pairing, the meaning defaults to sense 1.
4. costing less but also weaker, thinner, or made with worse materials than other o
costing less but also weaker, thinner, or made with worse materials than other options
Devika bought a cheaper umbrella, and it broke in the first heavy rain.
cheaper + concrete object + result of poor quality
The cheaper plastic chairs cracked after only one summer on the balcony.
cheaper + material noun + breakdown event
Cheaper headphones often sound flat and stop working after a few months.
João warned his sister that cheaper paint usually needs three coats instead of one.
- lower-quality
more neutral; emphasises quality directly
- inferior
formal; clearly negative judgement
- better-made
built to last using stronger materials
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: this reading hints that the lower price comes with worse quality. Often the surrounding clause names the quality problem (broke, cracked, sounds flat, needs three coats).
5. more unwilling to spend money than someone else, often in a way that seems mean
more unwilling to spend money than someone else, often in a way that seems mean
Christopher is cheaper than his brother and never offers to pay for coffee.
subject = person; cheaper than + person
Heloísa says her boss is cheaper this year and refuses to buy new office chairs.
cheaper + time period + refusal
Aaron jokes that uncles get cheaper every Christmas with their gift choices.
The new owner is cheaper than the old one and cut the lunch budget in half.
- more generous
happy to spend money on or share with others
用法筆記
Subject is a person or a group acting like one (the company, the owner). The comparison frames stinginess as a personal trait. Avoid in polite or formal contexts.
常見錯誤
6. more nasty, mean-spirited, or lacking in fairness than something else
more nasty, mean-spirited, or lacking in fairness than something else
That joke about Liang's grandmother was even cheaper than the last one.
cheaper + than + earlier insult
Daniel said the politician's attack was cheaper than anything he had heard before.
cheaper + than + prior unkind act
Mocking someone's accent is cheaper than disagreeing with their actual ideas.
The second columnist's reply was cheaper than the first, full of personal insults.
- kinder
showing more care and fairness
用法筆記
Object of the comparison is usually a remark, joke, attack, or tactic. Distinguish from sense 5 (about money) by the surrounding context — here the comparison is about behaviour, not spending habits.
cheaper — adverb
1. in a way that costs less money than usual, or less than another method or place
in a way that costs less money than usual, or less than another method or place
Layla bought her textbooks cheaper online than at the campus bookstore.
verb + cheaper + online than + alternative
You can travel cheaper if you book the train tickets a month in advance.
modal + verb + cheaper + condition
Nala said she could fly cheaper from Lagos through a smaller airline.
Local farmers sell tomatoes cheaper at the Saturday market than at the supermarket.
- more cheaply
the formal adverbial form; same meaning
- for less
very informal phrase; same idea expressed differently
- more expensively
doing something at a higher cost
文法句型
verb + cheaper than
do/buy/get + cheaper
用法筆記
Used after a verb to modify the action (how you buy, travel, eat). In careful writing, 'more cheaply' is sometimes preferred, but 'cheaper' is far more common in everyday speech.
常見錯誤
cheaper — noun
1. a less expensive item picked out from a set of choices — usually the one bought
a less expensive item picked out from a set of choices — usually the one bought when saving money matters more than other features
Ezra compared two coffee makers and went with the cheaper of the two.
the cheaper of the two (substantive use)
Among the two sofas in the shop, Lauren picked the cheaper because the family was moving soon.
picked + the cheaper + reason
The mechanic showed Marco two tyres and recommended the cheaper for short city trips.
Of the two flight options, Nadia booked the cheaper and saved enough for an extra night in Lisbon.
- the less expensive one
longer, clearer phrasing; preferred in formal writing
- the bargain
stresses the saving rather than the comparison
- the pricier one
the more expensive choice in the same set
文法句型
the cheaper of the two
find a cheaper
用法筆記
Almost always preceded by 'the' and tied to a clear set of two options (the cheaper of the two). Strictly speaking this is the comparative adjective used as a noun rather than a separate lexical noun.