cheapen
[ chee-puhn ]
/ ˈtʃi pən /
Save This Word!
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.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!
Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.
Question 1 of 7
“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.
Meet Grammar Coach
Improve Your Writing
Origin of cheapen
OTHER WORDS FROM cheapen
cheap·en·er, nounun·cheap·ened, adjectiveWords nearby cheapen
Ch.B., ChD, Ch.E., cheap, cheap at twice the price, cheapen, cheapie, cheap-jack, cheapo, cheap out, cheap shot
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences 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 forms of cheapen
cheapener, nounCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012