Meaning & use
not cheap
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Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
Costing a lot of money; expensive.
Grammar: Used as an adjective phrase after a linking verb like 'be' or 'seem'.
Patterns
- be not cheap
- seem not cheap
- not cheap to do something
That new phone is not cheap; it costs over a thousand dollars.
Dinner at that restaurant was not cheap, but it was delicious.
phrasefixed phrasefigurative
Requiring a lot of effort or sacrifice; not easy or without cost.
Grammar: Often used figuratively to talk about non-material costs.
Patterns
- not cheap to do something
- something is not cheap
Getting a degree is not cheap; it takes years of hard work.
Fame is not cheap; you lose your privacy.
Common combinations
- not cheap to buy
- A house in this area is not cheap to buy.
- not cheap at all
- The tickets were not cheap at all.
- not cheap these days
- Groceries are not cheap these days.
Synonyms and how they differ
- expensive
- More direct and formal; 'not cheap' is softer and often ironic.
- costly
- Suggests a high price, often with negative consequences; 'not cheap' is more neutral.
- pricey
- Informal, similar to 'not cheap' but slightly more casual.
Opposites
Commonly confused: not cheap or cheap?
not cheap vs cheap
'Cheap' means low in price; 'not cheap' means the opposite.
Practice
What does 'not cheap' mean in the sentence 'The hotel was not cheap'?
Choose one answer.
'Not cheap' means expensive. The other options are opposites or unrelated.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “not cheap”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.