cheap (person)

[jiang]

Dear teachers,

The word cheap (person) bears a negative meaning. Could you please kindly explain are there any positive words that bear the same meaning?

Looking forward to hearing from you.
Thank you in advance.

Jiang

[Rover_KE]

If you mean a person who is cheap in the sense of being parsimonious, miserly, or tight with their money, as in a cheapskate, then the word thrifty answers your question in my opinion.

Rover

[jiang]

Dear Barb_D,

I think the phrase is cheap person.

Looking forward to hearing from you.
Thank you in advance.

Jiang

[emsr2d2]

I think the phrase is cheap person.

Looking forward to hearing from you.
Thank you in advance.

Jiang

In that case, RoverKE just answered your question perfectly above.

[tzfujimino]

Hello.
Please let me ask a question here.
Does 'cheap' collocate with 'person'?

"He is a very cheap person."
I've never read/heard a sentence like this.

I do know "Don't be so cheap (- meaning 'stingy' or 'mean'." is OK, but I don't think "Don't be such a cheap person." would work. Oh...hang on....It could work if the 'cheap' is used in the sense of 'having a low status' or 'not deserving respect'. Am I correct?

(Edit) collocates...

[emsr2d2]

Hello.
Please let me ask a question here.
Does 'cheap' collocates with 'person'?

"He is a very cheap person."
I've never read/heard a sentence like this.

I do know "Don't be so cheap (- meaning 'stingy' or 'mean'." is OK, but I don't think "Don't be such a cheap person." would work. Oh...hang on....It could work if the 'cheap' is used in the sense of 'having a low status' or 'not deserving respect'. Am I correct?

No, it doesn't work with "low status" or "not deserving respect". Although we don't often actually say "Don't be such a cheap person", that is what is meant by "Don't be so cheap". It's just a shorter (and more natural) way of saying it. If someone said "Don't be such a cheap person", it would still mean "Don't be so stingy". I think it sounds unnatural because of the use of the word "person". We rarely use constructions with "person" like that.

- Don't be such a nasty person. (Unnatural)
- Dont be so nasty. (Natural)

- Don't be such a mean person. (Unnatural)
- Don't be so mean. (Natural)

What you might hear after "cheap" would be another negative word, such as "b*stard" or "git". "Don't be such a cheap git" would not sound unnatural.

[CarloSsS]

Does the following seem negative to you? I think it's neutral, so maybe it could be used as a polite version of "He's cheap".

He's just careful with the money.

[emsr2d2]

Does the following seem negative to you? I think it's neutral, so maybe it could be used as a polite version of "He's cheap".

He's just careful with the money.

I don't think they're the same thing though. I'm careful with money (ie I don't waste it on unnecessary things) but I'm not cheap (I spend money on things that are worth it and my friends say I'm generous).

[5jj]

I don't think they're the same thing though. I'm careful with money (ie I don't waste it on unnecessary things) but I'm not cheap (I spend money on things that are worth it and my friends say I'm generous).

My friends friend accquaintance sole-remaining-contact-among-those-I-used-to-know says that I am careful with money. I don't think it's meant as a compliment.