bargain for

British  

verb

1. (intr, preposition) to expect; anticipate (a style of behaviour, change in fortune, etc)

   he got more than he bargained for

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bargain for Idioms  

1. Also, bargain over . Negotiate about something, usually a price. For example, In open-air markets it is standard practice to bargain for the best price . [Late 1300s]

2. Also, bargain on . Expect, be prepared for, as in In planning the picnic, we hadn't bargained for bad weather , or I hadn't bargained on John's coming along . [c. 1800] For a synonym, see count on .

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Example Sentences

That implies it would be a bargain for investors who put profits first, with a similar view emerging for Amazon, with its PEG ratio of 1.9, versus Walmart at 5.76 and Costco at 5.2.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 18, 2026

That is quite a bargain for a brand that, for much of the past decade, commanded a multiple higher than sportswear giant Nike and luxury conglomerate LVMH.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 22, 2025

What he really did not bargain for was the Old Trafford side hurtling backwards at such an alarming rate.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2025

That would be more than 26 times the current annual bump in some cases, and the higher annual raises would be built in, without having to bargain for them in every contract cycle.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2025

“It would take a lot out of a person, even their own control over their magic. You were unable to demand a fair bargain for your gold. You couldn’t even name a price.”

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff