cheapen
[ chee-puh n ]
/ ˈtʃi pən /
verb (used with object)
to make cheap or cheaper.
to lower in esteem; bring into contempt: Constant swearing cheapened him.
to decrease the quality or beauty of; make inferior or vulgar: She cheapened the dress by adding a fringe to it.
Archaic. to bargain for.
verb (used without object)
to become cheap or cheaper.
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Nearby words
cheap at twice the price, cheap out, cheap shot, cheap skate, cheap-jack, cheapen, cheapie, cheaply, cheapo, cheapside, cheapskate
Origin of cheapen
Related formscheap·en·er, nounun·cheap·ened, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for cheapen
British Dictionary definitions for cheapen
cheapen
/ (ˈtʃiːpən) /
verb
to make or become lower in reputation, quality, etc; degrade or be degraded
to make or become cheap or cheaper
Derived Formscheapener, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for cheapen
cheapen
1570s, "ask the price of," from cheap (adj.) + -en (1). Meaning "lower the price of" is from 1833, but figuratively, "to lower in estimation" is from 1650s. Related: Cheapened; cheapening.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper