cheapness

IPA/ˈtʃiːpnəs/
KK[tʃˈipnəs]IPA/ˈtʃiːpnəs/

cheapness — noun

1. the quality of costing very little money, so that something is easy to afford or

1.nounB1
Definition

the quality of costing very little money, so that something is easy to afford or seems like good value for the buyer

Example

Jiwoo was amazed at the cheapness of fresh vegetables at the local market.

cheapness + of + concrete noun for low price

The cheapness of public transport in Gabriel's city makes it easy for students to get around.

Common collocations
  • astonishing cheapness
  • relative cheapness
  • overall cheapness
Synonyms
  • affordability

    more positive and neutral; focuses on being within one's budget

  • low cost

    more common in business or economic contexts

  • inexpensiveness

    more formal and less frequent in everyday speech

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

cheapness + of + noun phrase

Common Mistakes

I like the cheapness of this store.
I like how cheap this store is.
'cheapness' sounds unnatural with personal preferences; use the adjective form or 'low prices' instead.
The cheapness of the phone surprised me.' (ambiguous)
How cheap the phone was surprised me.
'cheapness' can imply poor quality; for a neutral or positive price meaning, rephrase with 'how cheap' or 'low price'.

2. the poor quality of something that is made with bad materials or little care, so

2.nounB2
Definition

the poor quality of something that is made with bad materials or little care, so that it looks ugly or feels worthless

Example

The cheapness of the plastic toys was obvious — they broke within a week.

cheapness + of + [object] + was obvious for visible poor quality

Mira complained about the cheapness of the fabric; it tore the first time she wore the dress.

Common collocations
  • tawdry cheapness
  • apparent cheapness
  • general cheapness
Synonyms
  • shoddiness

    more specific to poor workmanship or construction

  • inferiority

    broader, not necessarily linked to low cost

  • tackiness

    informal; suggests tastelessness and lack of style

Antonyms
  • quality

    the standard of excellence, especially when achieved without skimping

  • superiority

    the state of being better than others in quality

Grammar Patterns

cheapness + of + noun phrase

Usage Note

This sense always carries a negative judgement — it describes something that looks or feels inferior, not just inexpensive. It can also imply tastelessness or lack of care in design.

Common Mistakes

The cheapness of the shoes disappointed me.
The poor quality of the shoes disappointed me.
'cheapness' links quality to price; when the defect is purely about construction, 'poor quality' is more direct.
I hate the cheapness of this restaurant.
The food at this restaurant tastes cheap.
'cheapness' as an abstract noun is less natural than using the adjective with a concrete subject.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three words describe something that does not require much money, but they differ in register and connotation. 'Affordability' is the most positive and practical term — it focuses on whether something fits within a person's budget; a university might promote its 'affordability' as a selling point. 'Low cost' is neutral and factual, common in business writing ('a low-cost airline') and statistics. 'Inexpensiveness' is rare in everyday speech and sounds overly formal or technical; it appears mainly in academic or commercial analysis. For everyday conversation, 'how cheap something is' or 'low price' are more natural than any of these nouns. Example: 'Families praised the affordability of the new housing scheme.' / 'The low cost of production allowed them to lower the selling price.'

affordability ↗low costinexpensiveness

Common collocations

Nouns

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinGermanicOld EnglishEnglish

From 'cheap' (which originally meant 'a bargain, a trade' in Old English cēap, borrowed from Latin caupō 'tradesman') combined with the suffix '-ness', which turns adjectives into nouns meaning 'the state or quality of'. The negative sense of 'low quality' developed in the 1500s, reflecting the idea that low-priced goods were often poorly made.