cheap

/tʃiːp/ (bre, ipa) · [tʃˈip] /tʃiːp/ (ame, ipa) · [tʃˈip] /ˈchēp/ (ame, mw)

cheap — 形容詞

  • cheappositive
  • cheapercomparative
  • cheapestsuperlative

1. Not costing a lot of money; available at a price that is lower than what people

1.形容詞A1
釋義

便宜的

價格低於通常水準

Not costing a lot of money; available at a price that is lower than what people usually pay or expect to pay for something similar.

例句

We found a cheap hotel near the train station that cost only forty dollars a night.

我們在火車站附近找到一間便宜的旅館，一晚只要四十美元。

attributive: cheap + noun (hotel)

The supermarket sells cheap vegetables from local farms every Saturday morning.

這間超市每週六早上都賣來自當地農場的便宜蔬菜。

attributive use describing a type of goods

同義詞
  • inexpensive

    More neutral than 'cheap'; avoids the negative suggestion of low quality

  • affordable

    Focuses on the buyer's ability to pay rather than absolute price level

  • low-cost

    Often used in business or travel contexts (low-cost airline)

反義詞
  • expensive

    Costing a lot of money

  • costly

    Slightly more formal; often implies a heavy financial burden

  • pricey

    Informal and conversational

用法筆記

In neutral contexts, 'inexpensive' is often preferred to avoid the negative connotation that 'cheap' can carry (see sense 6). The choice depends on whether the speaker wants to emphasise a good deal or warn about possible low quality.

常見錯誤

❌I bought a cheap phone' (when meaning good value).
✅I bought an inexpensive phone.
💡'Cheap' can sound negative because it is also used for low quality; 'inexpensive' is more neutral.
❌The price is very cheap.
✅The price is very low.' or 'The item is very cheap.
💡We describe the item, not the price itself, as 'cheap'.

2. Describing a shop, restaurant, or other business that charges prices which are l

2.形容詞A2
釋義

平價的

店家收費低廉的

Describing a shop, restaurant, or other business that charges prices which are lower than the average for that type of establishment.

例句

The new noodle shop beside the park is cheap and the food tastes great.

公園旁邊那家新開的麵店很平價，東西也很好吃。

predicative: [place] + be + cheap

Tourists often look for cheap hotels located near the main train station.

觀光客通常會找位於主要火車站附近的平價旅館。

attributive: cheap + place noun

同義詞
  • reasonably priced

    Suggests fairness rather than just lowness of price

  • budget

    Used before a noun (budget hotel, budget airline); implies basic service at low cost

  • low-priced

    Direct and neutral; describes the price level without judgment

反義詞
  • expensive

    Fees or prices that are high

  • pricey

    Informal; implies the place costs more than expected

  • upmarket

    Describes a place that is expensive and exclusive, targeting wealthy customers

用法筆記

Only applies to businesses that sell goods or services directly to customers. You would not describe a wholesale supplier or a factory this way — the focus is on the end customer's experience.

常見錯誤

❌This library is cheap because membership is free.
✅This library is free.
💡'Cheap' for places refers to the prices they charge, not whether entry costs money.

3. So useful, good, or enjoyable that the amount of money paid for it feels reasona

3.形容詞B1
釋義

划算的

以該價格而言物超所值

So useful, good, or enjoyable that the amount of money paid for it feels reasonable or even low — emphasising the quality relative to the cost.

例句

For only five dollars, this lunch box is cheap at the price — it comes with rice, meat, and soup.

這個便當只要五美元，有飯、有肉、還有湯，真是划算。

fixed expression: cheap at the price

A monthly bus pass is cheap when you think about how many trips you can take with it.

一張月票可以搭很多趟車，想想看就覺得很划算。

pattern: [something] is cheap when you think about/consider [benefit]

同義詞
  • good value

    More explicit about the quality-to-price ratio; always positive

  • a bargain

    Noun form; suggests the item is worth much more than the price paid

  • worth the money

    Direct and conversational; implies the purchase was a good decision

反義詞
  • overpriced

    Costing more than it is worth

  • a rip-off

    Informal; describes something that costs far too much for its quality

用法筆記

Often used in the fixed expression 'cheap at the price' (British English) or in comparative structures that weigh cost against benefit. Unlike sense 1, this sense carries a clearly positive tone — the speaker is satisfied with the value.

常見錯誤

❌This phone is cheap for what you get.' (ambiguous — could mean low quality).
✅This phone is great value for money.
💡Use 'great value' or 'a good deal' to express positive surprise about low cost without the negative ambiguity of 'cheap'.

4. Getting or buying something while spending very little money, often by finding a

4.形容詞B1
釋義

廉價地

以極低成本取得

Getting or buying something while spending very little money, often by finding a special deal, buying used items, or doing the work yourself instead of paying someone else.

例句

We decorated the whole apartment on the cheap by using furniture from garage sales.

我們用舊貨攤買來的傢俱裝潢整間公寓，弄得很廉價。

fixed phrase: on the cheap

If you buy the parts online and build the shelf yourself, you can do it on the cheap.

如果自己上網買零件來組裝書架，就可以弄得很廉價。

同義詞
  • on a budget

    More neutral in tone; describes spending within financial limits rather than actively seeking the lowest possible cost

  • economically

    Formal; focuses on saving money as a principle

  • for next to nothing

    Informal; emphasises that the cost was extremely low

用法筆記

This sense only appears in the fixed prepositional phrase 'on the cheap,' which functions like an adverb. The phrase is informal and cannot be split — you cannot say 'on a cheap' or 'on the cheap way.'

常見錯誤

❌I bought it on cheap.
✅I bought it on the cheap.
💡The definite article 'the' is required in this fixed phrase.

5. Used right after action words like 'buy', 'get', 'fly', or 'travel' to say that

5.形容詞B1
釋義

低價地

以低廉的價格購入或使用

Used right after action words like 'buy', 'get', 'fly', or 'travel' to say that someone paid very little to obtain or do something.

例句

We bought the tickets cheap because we booked them three months before the flight.

我們提前三個月訂機票，所以低價買到了。

pattern: verb + cheap (adverbial)

Elena could not believe she got such a nice winter coat cheap at the end-of-season sale.

Elena 不敢相信自己在季末特賣會上低價買到這麼漂亮的冬大衣。

同義詞
  • cheaply

    The standard adverb; more formal and can be used in more contexts

  • for a low price

    Full prepositional phrase; more explicit and slightly more formal

  • at a discount

    Specifically means below the usual marked price

反義詞
  • dearly

    At a high cost; often used with 'pay' (paid dearly)

用法筆記

In this sense, 'cheap' functions like an adverb and always follows the verb directly without a preposition. The more formal alternative is 'cheaply' (e.g., 'We bought the tickets cheaply').

常見錯誤

❌I bought it cheaply' (when the informal adverbial 'cheap' is more natural).
✅I bought it cheap.
💡After verbs like 'buy', 'get', and 'fly', the adjective form used adverbially is more common in everyday English than the -ly form.

6. Made with poor materials or workmanship so that the item breaks, stops working p

6.形容詞A2
釋義

廉價劣質的

價格低且品質也差

Made with poor materials or workmanship so that the item breaks, stops working properly, or looks unattractive — often soon after you start using it — because the manufacturer spent too little money on production.

例句

The cheap plastic toys from the dollar store broke within a week of play.

一元商店賣的那些廉價劣質的塑膠玩具，玩不到一星期就壞了。

attributive: cheap + material noun

My new boots looked nice but the cheap leather started peeling after two weeks of use.

我的新靴子看起來不錯，但穿了兩週之後，那層廉價劣質的皮革就開始剝落了。

attributive: cheap + type of material

同義詞
  • shoddy

    Stronger negative judgment; suggests careless or poor workmanship

  • flimsy

    Focuses on lack of strength; easily broken or torn

  • poor-quality

    Direct and factual; less emotionally charged than 'shoddy'

  • tawdry

    Describes something that looks cheap in a flashy, tasteless way

反義詞
  • high-quality

    Made with good materials and careful workmanship

  • durable

    Able to last a long time without breaking or wearing out

  • sturdy

    Strongly built and unlikely to break

  • well-made

    Describes something built to last

用法筆記

This is the most common negative meaning of "cheap". It covers the general low-price/low-quality trade-off: the manufacturer saved money, and the quality suffers as a result. An even stronger shade of disapproval focuses on workmanship so shoddy that the item breaks or fails almost immediately. Both are covered by this single sense. When you want to describe a low price without implying poor quality, use "inexpensive" instead.

常見錯誤

❌This dress was cheap!' (said happily about a bargain — listener may think you are criticising the quality).
✅This dress was very inexpensive!
💡Avoid the ambiguous use of 'cheap' when you mean 'a good deal' to prevent misunderstanding.
❌The restaurant was cheap, so the food was bad.
✅The kitchen knives were cheap, and the blades bent after one use.
💡This sense applies to products and materials, not services or experiences.
❌The price is very cheap.
✅The price is very low.' or 'The item is very cheap.
💡We describe the item, not the price itself, as 'cheap'.

7. Not willing to spend money, even when it is normal or expected to do so, often c

7.形容詞B1
釋義

小氣；吝嗇

不願意花應花的錢

Not willing to spend money, even when it is normal or expected to do so, often causing inconvenience or unfairness to other people — for example, never paying for a round of drinks, or avoiding essential repairs.

例句

Eli is so cheap that he never leaves a tip at restaurants.

Eli 很小氣，在餐廳吃飯從不給小費。

so + cheap + that-clause showing extreme result

Lisa's landlord was too cheap to hire a plumber, so the kitchen pipe leaked for months.

Lisa 的房東小氣到不肯花錢請水電工，廚房水管一連漏了好幾個月。

too + cheap + to-infinitive showing unwillingness

同義詞
  • stingy

    Very similar, but stingy can also describe a portion or amount ('a stingy portion of chips')

  • tight-fisted

    More informal and vivid; suggests holding tightly onto money

  • miserly

    More formal and old-fashioned; suggests extreme, almost obsessive refusal to spend

反義詞

文法句型

be + cheap (predicative)

cheap + person noun (attributive)

用法筆記

Strongly critical — calling someone cheap in this sense is an insult. The subject is usually a person, organisation, or entity in control of spending. Frequently used in the patterns 'be too cheap to do something' and 'be so cheap that...'.

常見錯誤

❌This shirt is cheap — it only cost five dollars.
✅My boss is cheap
💡he never reimburses us for work expenses.' — Sense 1-6 describe low-priced items; sense 7 only applies to people or organisations that refuse to spend.

8. Describes an action, remark, or way of behaving that is unkind, dishonest, or mo

8.形容詞B2
釋義

卑劣；刻薄

行為或言論不道德、不厚道

Describes an action, remark, or way of behaving that is unkind, dishonest, or morally low — the sort of thing people lose respect for you over, such as playing a mean trick on someone or saying something hurtful to gain an advantage.

例句

Elena felt that her colleague's cheap remark about her accent crossed a line.

Elena 認為同事針對她口音說的刻薄話已經越界了。

cheap remark — attributive use for an unkind comment

The salesman pulled a cheap trick by hiding the fees in the contract's tiny print.

那個業務員耍了個卑劣手段，把費用藏在合約的小字裡。

cheap trick — common collocation for a dishonest act

同義詞
  • contemptible

    More formal and severe — deserving of complete scorn

  • mean

    Broader — covers unkind behaviour of any kind

  • despicable

    Stronger moral condemnation than cheap

反義詞
  • admirable

    Deserving of respect and approval

  • decent

    Behaving according to accepted moral standards

文法句型

cheap + noun (attributive)

be/feel + cheap (predicative about behaviour)

用法筆記

Often describes speech acts (remark, comment, joke, insult) or actions done to gain an unfair advantage (trick, tactic, shot). The 'cheap shot' idiom (an unfair criticism aimed at someone vulnerable) belongs to this sense.

常見錯誤

❌The phone was cheap, so it broke.
✅That was a cheap thing to say about your own mother.
💡This sense is about moral meanness, not price or quality.

9. Dressed or made up in a way that is too bright, too tight, or too revealing, giv

9.形容詞C1
釋義

俗豔；低俗

穿著過度暴露或花俏，品味低俗

Dressed or made up in a way that is too bright, too tight, or too revealing, giving the impression that the person is trying very obviously to be sexually attractive — often considered old-fashioned or unkind as a judgement.

例句

Min's grandmother said the sparkly gold dress looked cheap and too daring for a wedding.

Min 的奶奶說那件亮片金色洋裝看起來很俗豔，穿去婚禮太過大膽。

look + cheap — predicative use about clothing style

The magazine received angry letters for describing the singer's stage outfit as cheap and tasteless.

那本雜誌因為形容那位歌手的舞台服裝俗豔沒品味，收到了許多抗議信。

同義詞
  • tacky

    More about poor taste in general than specifically about sexual attraction

  • tasteless

    Broader — describes anything lacking style or refinement

  • garish

    Focuses on excessive brightness and colour rather than revealing clothing

反義詞
  • elegant

    Tasteful, stylish, and refined

  • classy

    Informal — showing good taste and sophistication

文法句型

cheap + noun (look, dress, clothes)

look + cheap (predicative)

用法筆記

Can be offensive — calling a person's outfit 'cheap' in this sense implies a negative judgement about their character or intentions. More commonly used about clothes and make-up than about the person directly ('Her dress looked cheap' rather than 'She looked cheap'). Less frequent in modern usage; younger speakers may find it dated.

常見錯誤

❌The dress was only ten dollars, so it was cheap.
✅The dress was bright red with rhinestones everywhere, and it looked a bit cheap.
💡This sense is about showiness and sexual signalling, not price.

cheap — 副詞