bargain

American  

[bahr-guhn] / ˈbɑr gən /

noun

• bargains
  plural

1. an advantageous purchase, especially one acquired at less than the usual cost.

   The sale offered bargains galore.

2. an agreement between parties settling what each shall give and take or perform and receive in a transaction.

   Synonyms:

   transaction, arrangement, stipulation

3. such an agreement as affecting one of the parties.

   a losing bargain.

4. something acquired by bargaining.

5. Informal. an agreeable person, especially one who causes no trouble or difficulty (usually used in negative constructions).

   His boss is no bargain.

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verb (used without object)

• bargains,
  present (3rd person singular)
• bargained,
  past participle,  past
• bargaining
  present participle

1. to discuss the terms of a bargain; haggle; negotiate.

2. to come to an agreement; make a bargain.

   We bargained on a three-year term.

   Synonyms:

   covenant, contract

verb (used with object)

• bargains,
  present (3rd person singular)
• bargained,
  past participle,  past
• bargaining
  present participle

1. to arrange by bargain; negotiate.

   to bargain a new wage increase.

2. to anticipate as likely to occur; expect (usually followed by a clause).

   I'll bargain that he's going to give those company directors plenty of trouble.

verb phrase

1. bargain on to expect or anticipate; count or rely on.

   You can't bargain on what she'll do in this situation.

2. bargain for to anticipate or take into account.

   The job turned out to be more than he had bargained for.

idioms

1. strike a bargain, to make a bargain; agree to terms.

   They were unable to strike a bargain because the owner's asking price was more than the prospective buyer could afford.

2. in / into the bargain, over and above what has been stipulated; moreover; besides.

   The new housekeeper proved to be a fine cook in the bargain.

bargain British  

/ ˈbɑːɡɪn /

noun

1. an agreement or contract establishing what each party will give, receive, or perform in a transaction between them

2. something acquired or received in such an agreement

3. 1. something bought or offered at a low price

      a bargain at an auction

   2. ( as modifier )

      a bargain price

4. in excess of what has been stipulated; besides

5. to agree on terms

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verb

1. (intr) to negotiate the terms of an agreement, transaction, etc

2. (tr) to exchange, as in a bargain

3. to arrive at (an agreement or settlement)

bargain More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing bargain

• drive a bargain
• into the bargain
• make the best of it (a bad bargain)
• more than one bargained for
• strike a bargain

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Synonym Usage

See agreement. See trade.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• bargainer
  noun
• bargaining
  noun
• outbargain
  verb (used with object)
• prebargain
  verb (used with object)
• bargainable
  adjective
• probargaining
  adjective
• unbargained
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• bargains
  plural

Participles

• bargaining
  present
• bargained
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• bargain
  simple
• bargains
  simple
• have bargained
  perfect
• has bargained
  perfect
• am bargaining
  progressive
• are bargaining
  progressive
• is bargaining
  progressive
• have been bargaining
  perfect progressive
• has been bargaining
  perfect progressive

Past

• bargained
  simple
• had bargained
  perfect
• was bargaining
  progressive
• were bargaining
  progressive
• had been bargaining
  perfect progressive

Future

• will bargain
  simple
• will have bargained
  perfect
• will be bargaining
  progressive
• will have been bargaining
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of bargain

First recorded in 1300–50; (for the verb) Middle English bargaynen, from Anglo-French, Old French bargai(g)ner, probably from Frankish borganjan (unrecorded); cognate with Old High German bor(a)gēn “to look after” ( German borgen “to lend”); (for the noun) Middle English bargayn, from Anglo-French, Old French bargai(g)ne, bargain, derivative of the verb; cf. borrow

Explanation

The table you bought at a yard sale for five dollars might seem like a bargain until you get it home and realize it only has three legs. A bargain is a good deal. Inexpensive items are one type of bargain, and another kind of bargain is an agreement you make with someone — a deal or compromise. Two countries might strike a trade bargain, or you could make a bargain with your friend that you'll drive to the mall if she buys you a giant cinnamon roll. Bargain also means to negotiate the details of a purchase, which makes sense because the root word is bargaignier, French for "haggle over the price."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bargain bargains bargained bargaining

O'Neill said the club has a bargain in Duran and the early signs are that he was an absolute steal at somewhere between £4.5m and £6m, depending on who's talking.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

Zoo is a bargain compared to others in Southern California.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

Deal or no deal, AstraZeneca stock looks like a bargain.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

That has fuelled speculation that the AI play was back as traders return to pick up bargain stocks.

From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026

She extended her hand to seal the bargain.

From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood

Ask anyone who has traveled to Japan recently and they will rave about the bargains to be had.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

But investors can perhaps find better bargains elsewhere in the space.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026

"Today's bidding wars are going to be seen as bargains, and they already are," says Rachel Swann, the listing agent for the Duboce Triangle property.

From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026

But a rush to pick up bargains following that selloff fuelled a spike in New York, where the Dow hit a fresh peak and the Nasdaq climbed more than two percent.

From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026

Sometimes he’d get up from his director’s chair and we’d make small talk about my writ­ing, the war, the day’s bargains.

From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini

Slate’s Alexander Sammon paid the lab a visit and learned more than he bargained for.

From Slate ● Jul. 13, 2026

It is something to be bargained for, prayed over—and repaid in promises that may or may not be kept.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026

Workers at Amazon’s Staten Island, N.Y., warehouse voted to unionize in 2022, but the company has not bargained with workers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2025

That is a situation United had not bargained for six months ago.

From BBC ● Apr. 15, 2025

My dad had also bargained for a daily bottle of pop for each of us as part of his pay.

From "Tasting the Sky" by Ibtisam Barakat

"Showing awareness could suggest a degree of mutual understanding," but feigning ignorance signals that the issue could become a key bargaining point in any future talks with Trump, Hong said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026

The Lakers informed Leonard’s representatives that those requests violated the NBA collective bargaining agreement and Leonard eventually signed with the Clippers, where he played the past seven seasons.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026

"For the security of our people and their right to life on their land are not subject to negotiation or bargaining."

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s concurrence suggested a different path forward: Colleges and athletes could resolve compensation questions through collective bargaining or negotiated agreement, as professional football and basketball players do.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

I wander through the stalls, enjoying the easy give and take of bargaining in Bangla.

From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins

Related Words

• arrangement
• contract
• deal
• negotiation
• pact
• transaction
• understanding