el cheapo

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

Cheap; inexpensive; of low quality.

Register: slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

I only had five bucks, so I bought the el cheapo headphones.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “el cheapo” mean?

Cheap; inexpensive; of low quality.

Is “el cheapo” formal or informal?

el cheapo is generally slang.