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1 ADJ [v-link ADJ , ADJ n] Goods or services that are cheap cost less money than usual or than you expected. □  Smoke detectors are cheap and easy to put up. □  Running costs are coming down because of cheaper fuel. □  They served breakfast all day and sold it cheap. ●  cheap|ly ADV [ADV after v] □  It will produce electricity more cheaply than a nuclear plant. ●  cheap|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] The cheapness and simplicity of the design makes it ideal for our task.

2 ADJ [ADJ n] If you describe goods as cheap , you mean they cost less money than similar products but their quality is poor. □  Don't resort to cheap copies; save up for the real thing. □  …a tight suit made of some cheap material.

3 ADJ [ADJ n] If you describe someone's remarks or actions as cheap , you mean that they are unkindly or insincerely using a situation to benefit themselves or to harm someone else. [DISAPPROVAL ] □  These tests will inevitably be used by politicians to make cheap political points.

4 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If you describe someone as cheap , you are criticizing them for being unwilling to spend money. [AM , DISAPPROVAL ] □  Oh, please, Dad, just this once don't be cheap.

5 PHRASE If someone does or buys something on the cheap , they spend less money than they should because they are more concerned with what it costs than with its quality. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □  Most modern housing estates are terrible and inevitably done on the cheap.

cheap|en /tʃiː pən/ (cheapens , cheapening , cheapened ) VERB If something cheapens a person or thing, it lowers their reputation or position. □ [V n] When America boycotted the Moscow Games, it cheapened the medals won. □ [V -ed] Love is a word cheapened by overuse.

cheapo /tʃiː poʊ/ ADJ [ADJ n] Cheapo things are very inexpensive and probably of poor quality. [INFORMAL ] □  …cheapo deals on wobbly airlines.

chea p sho t (cheap shots ) N‑COUNT A cheap shot is a comment someone makes which you think is unfair or unkind. [DISAPPROVAL ]

cheap|skate /tʃiː pske I t/ (cheapskates ) N‑COUNT If you say that someone is a cheapskate , you think that they are mean and do not like spending money. [DISAPPROVAL ] □  Tell your husband not to be a cheapskate.

cheat /tʃiː t/ (cheats , cheating , cheated )

1 VERB When someone cheats , they do not obey a set of rules which they should be obeying, for example in a game or exam. □ [V ] Students may be tempted to cheat in order to get into top schools. ●  cheat|ing N‑UNCOUNT □  In an election in 1988, he was accused of cheating by his opponent.

2 N‑COUNT Someone who is a cheat does not obey a set of rules which they should be obeying. □  Cheats will be disqualified.

3 VERB If someone cheats you out of something, they get it from you by behaving dishonestly. □ [V n + out of/of ] The company engaged in a deliberate effort to cheat them out of their pensions. □ [V n] Many brokers were charged with cheating customers in commodity trades.

4 PHRASE If you say that someone cheats death , you mean they only just avoid being killed. [JOURNALISM ] □  He cheated death when he was rescued from the roof of his blazing cottage.

▸  cheat on

1 PHRASAL VERB If someone cheats on their husband, wife, or partner, they have a sexual relationship with another person. [INFORMAL ] □ [V P n] I'd found Philippe was cheating on me and I was angry and hurt.