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Glite Dictionary
cheap knockoff

cheap knockoff

3 4.4
A low-cost fake of a brand-name item that looks like the real thing but is lower quality
  • noun
  • /tʃiːp ˈnɑːkɒf/
: imitación barata
  • The Chinese government actually doesn't care much about patents, and it's clearly shown with the cheap knockoffs of the previous iPhones. It extends beyond phones to cars, computers, kitchenware, etc.
  • buy cheap knockoffs
  • get a cheap knockoff

And like designer labels today, recent analysis of the blades show that though the cheap knockoffs as well.

Examples

  • Many are no longer competing with cheap knockoffs, low-quality goods, and labor-intensive assemblies.

    Academic text (2006)

  • Many consumers are unaware that the purse they bought is actually a cheap knockoff of a luxury brand.

  • Most people stop by, hear the price, then head straight to some discount store for a cheap knockoff.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • Especially considering that all of the recreations have looked like cheap knockoffs of the original.

    Blog text (2)

  • However, most of the products on the market were either cheap knockoffs or just downright hideous.

  • Goophone (if it actually exists) is nothing more than a cheap knockoff of a very solid Apple product.

    Blog text (28)

  • Shoppers often buy a cheap knockoff instead of the original designer shoes to save money.

  • The market was filled with cheap knockoffs that looked similar to well-known electronics but were of much lower quality.

Synonyms

fake
vscheap knockoff
104 3.5

An object made to look real to trick people

is often a cheap low quality substitute not always meant to deceive
counterfeit
vscheap knockoff
64 6.7

Made to look like the real thing to trick people

is sold cheaply and poor quality rather than made to fool buyers
knockoff
vscheap knockoff
29 6.0

A copy of a popular product made without the owner's permission

is specifically a cheaper lower quality version rather than only unauthorized
clone
vscheap knockoff
28 5.5

A product made to look like a well-known brand without permission

is usually sold cheaply and of inferior quality rather than only unauthorized
imitation
vscheap knockoff
11 3.7

Made to look like something real but not the original

is a cheaper lower quality copy rather than a neutral likeness
dupe
vscheap knockoff
  • Informal
4 7.8

A cheaper copy of a designer or brand-name item

is the neutral term used in general contexts rather than informal speech

Antonyms

authentic
236 3.8

Something that is real and trustworthy, not a fake

original
111 3.5

The first version of something from which copies are made

How Authentic

authentic
236 3.8
replica
80 3.6
cheap knockoff
3 4.4
imitation
19 3.5
fake
939 1.8

Surface Forms

cheap knockoff singular
cheap knockoffs plural

Morphology

cheap + knockoff

The meaning 'an imitation product of inferior quality sold cheaply' is directly and compositionally derived from 'cheap' (low-cost/inferior) modifying 'knockoff' (unauthorized copy). This adjective+noun combination follows regular English compounding and has clear cross-linguistic parallels, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the full meaning.

Etymology

Cheap knockoff may come from the picture of someone quickly 'knocking off' a copy of a famous product, with knockoff meaning a copied version and cheap meaning low price. So it now means a low-quality imitation sold for much less than the real thing.