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  • bargain basement
    bargain basement
    noun
    a basement area in some stores where goods are sold at prices lower than usual.
  • bargain-basement
    bargain-basement
    adjective
    very low-priced.
Synonyms

bargain basement

1 American  

noun

  1. a basement area in some stores where goods are sold at prices lower than usual.

bargain-basement 2 American  
[bahr-guhn-beys-muhnt] / ˈbɑr gənˌbeɪs mənt /

adjective

  1. very low-priced.

  2. noticeably lacking in quality; inferior.

bargain basement British  

noun

  1. part of a shop where goods are sold at reduced prices

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of bargain basement1

First recorded in 1895–1900

Origin of bargain-basement2

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Bargain basement batting from a group playing like millionaires.

From BBC • Dec. 7, 2025

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.