Meaning & use
thrift shops
Last updated
“thrift shops” is a form of “thrift shop”.
Meaning
nounplural
Stores that sell used clothes, books, and household items at low prices, often to raise money for charity.
Grammar: Always used in the plural when talking about more than one; the singular is 'thrift shop'.
Patterns
- shop at thrift shops
- donate to thrift shops
- find something at a thrift shop
She bought a vintage jacket at one of the local thrift shops.
Many thrift shops support homeless shelters or animal rescues.
We spent Saturday morning browsing thrift shops for cheap furniture.
Word forms
| singular | thrift shop |
|---|
Common combinations
- local thrift shop
- The local thrift shop has a half-price sale every Friday.
- thrift shop find
- That painting was an amazing thrift shop find.
- donate to a thrift shop
- You can donate your old coats to a thrift shop.
- shop at a thrift shop
- College students often shop at thrift shops to save money.
Synonyms and how they differ
- charity shop
- The usual British term for a store that sells used goods to raise money for a good cause.
- second-hand store
- A more general term for any shop selling used items, not necessarily for charity.
- consignment shop
- A shop that sells used items on behalf of owners who receive a share of the sale price.
Word family
Commonly confused: thrift shops or gift shop?
thrift shops vs gift shop
A gift shop sells new items meant as presents; a thrift shop sells used goods at low prices.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'thrift shops' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option 1 is correct because 'a thrift shop' is the singular form used after 'a'. Option 0 is wrong because thrift shops typically sell used items, not new phones. Option 2 is wrong because 'shops' is plural and cannot take 'is'. Option 3 is wrong because 'a' requires the singular 'shop', not 'shops'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “thrift shops”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.