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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.

bargain basement

¹ American  

noun

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

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bargain-basement ² American  

[bahr-guhn-bays-muhnt] / ˈbɑr gənˌbeɪs mənt /

adjective

1. very low-priced.

2. noticeably lacking in quality; inferior.

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bargain basement British  

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of bargain basement¹

First recorded in 1895–1900

Origin of bargain-basement²

First recorded in 1955–60

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bargain basement bargain-basement

The business model that once made it an industry maverick—bringing its brand of bargain basement fares coupled with fees for pretty much everything—faced pressure from more intense competition.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 2026

You got on the property ladder at a bargain basement price, and doubled down on that cost effectiveness by building a house.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 10, 2026

He also looks for managers who deliver higher returns on equity rather than shopping in the bargain basement for the biggest discounts.

From Barron's ● Feb. 27, 2026

Chris Edwards, a businessman from Yorkshire, has spent more than 50 years working in retail's bargain basement.

From BBC ● Nov. 20, 2025

When Mama took us to the bargain basement sales in the Loveman’s and Pizitz department stores, we never asked why we couldn’t try on clothes.

From "While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement" by Carolyn Maull McKinstry

In reaching out to disgraced or out-of-fashion actors, the company is getting notable names for their bargain-basement productions.

From Salon ● Oct. 18, 2026

Schneider Electric, the maker of electrical equipment that has thrived from the AI build-out, on Monday struck a $23 billion deal to buy an industrial-design software company at a bargain-basement valuation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

“We’re not going to be in a situation with bargain-basement fares anytime soon,” Funk said.

From MarketWatch ● Dec. 18, 2025

But in the wake of Carpenter’s hugely successful “Halloween,” Cunningham put together a bargain-basement team of mostly unknowns and directed 1980’s workmanlike “Friday the 13th,” as much in the firmament as any slasher.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2024

So who's coming in on the bargain-basement floor?

From Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 159, September 22, 1920 by Sir Owen Seaman

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Related Words

• competitive
• economical
• low-cost
• low-priced
• reasonable

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