cheaply

cheaply — adverb

1. at a price that is lower than what is normal or expected for that type of thing

1.adverbB1
Definition

at a price that is lower than what is normal or expected for that type of thing

Example

Tomás found a way to travel cheaply by taking overnight buses between cities.

collocation: travel cheaply + by + gerund

Priya's grandmother always cooked cheaply but made meals that tasted delicious.

contrasts cost with quality using but

Common collocations
  • buy cheaply
  • sell cheaply
  • travel cheaply
  • live cheaply
  • eat cheaply
  • produce cheaply
  • obtain cheaply
  • furnish cheaply
  • decorate cheaply
Synonyms
  • inexpensively

    more formal; preferred in business and academic writing

  • on a budget

    informal phrasal expression describing a spending limit

  • economically

    broader meaning; can refer to resource efficiency, not just low cost

Antonyms
  • expensively

    direct opposite; at a high cost

  • dearly

    slightly formal; often used with pay/sell

Usage Note

Cheaply is the adverb form of the adjective cheap. It commonly pairs with verbs of buying, selling, obtaining, producing, or traveling: buy cheaply, travel cheaply, produce cheaply. In informal English, cheap is sometimes used as an adverb ('I got it cheap'), but in writing and formal speech, cheaply is the correct form.

Common Mistakes

She bought it real cheap.' (informal double adverb)
She bought it very cheaply.
Use cheaply with an intensifier in formal English, not cheap as an adverb after an intensifier.

Word family

  • cheap
    adjectiveA2
  • cheapness
    nounC1
  • cheapen
    verbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

Cheaply is the most general and neutral adverb for doing something with little money. Inexpensively carries the same core meaning but is more formal and appears often in business or academic contexts ('the product can be manufactured inexpensively'). On a budget is an informal phrasal expression that describes operating within a fixed spending limit ('traveling on a budget'). Economically can overlap with cheaply but more commonly refers to efficient use of resources rather than minimal monetary cost. For everyday conversation, cheaply is the most natural choice; for formal writing, inexpensively fits better. For example: 'She furnished her flat cheaply at charity shops' (neutral) vs. 'The system can be upgraded inexpensively' (formal).

cheaply ↗inexpensivelyon a budgeteconomically ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

  • very cheaply
  • relatively cheaply
  • surprisingly cheaply
  • fairly cheaply

Etymology

GermanicOld EnglishEnglish

Cheaply is formed from the adjective cheap and the adverb-forming suffix -ly. The adjective cheap comes from Old English cēap, meaning 'bargaining, trade, or price,' which traces back through Germanic roots to a prehistoric word for 'to buy or trade.' The modern meaning of 'low in price' emerged in the 1500s, gradually replacing the original sense of 'related to buying and selling.'