cheapen
Americanverb (used with object)
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cheapens,
present (3rd person singular)
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cheapened,
past participle, past
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cheapening
present participle
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to make cheap or cheaper.
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to lower in esteem; bring into contempt.
Constant swearing cheapened him.
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to decrease the quality or beauty of; make inferior or vulgar.
She cheapened the dress by adding a fringe to it.
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Archaic. to bargain for.
verb (used without object)
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cheapens,
present (3rd person singular)
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cheapened,
past participle, past
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cheapening
present participle
verb
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to make or become lower in reputation, quality, etc; degrade or be degraded
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to make or become cheap or cheaper
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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cheapensimple
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cheapenssimple
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have cheapenedperfect
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has cheapenedperfect
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am cheapeningprogressive
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are cheapeningprogressive
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is cheapeningprogressive
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have been cheapeningperfect progressive
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has been cheapeningperfect progressive
Past
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cheapenedsimple
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had cheapenedperfect
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was cheapeningprogressive
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were cheapeningprogressive
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had been cheapeningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of cheapen
1555–65; cheap + -en 1; replacing Middle English chepen (> obsolete English cheap (v.)) to price, bargain, Old English cēapian to bargain, trade, buy; cognate with Old Norse kaupa, Gothic kaupōn, German kaufen
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
This dollar weakness would also cheapen foreign-exchange hedging costs, they believed, allowing foreign investors concerned about the U.S. dollar’s long-run status to bolster their foreign-exchange hedges, which in turn would amplify the buck’s weakness.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026
A deterioration in the U.S. deficit is also causing Treasurys to cheapen.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
Both seasons of the show demonstrate that only the wealthy can afford to indulge in extreme emotional displays or cheapen honest ones.
From Salon ● Apr. 23, 2026
The Japanese government doesn’t want its currency to cheapen dramatically; that makes it more expensive for Japanese citizens to buy what they need.
From Barron's ● Jan. 26, 2026
I don’t like to throw the L-word around; it’s too good and rare a feeling to cheapen with overuse.
From "Turtles All the Way Down" by John Green
But to think of this novel solely as a journey to the center of Portman’s mind is not only irrelevant; it cheapens Cusk’s project.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
“Chill on the AI it cheapens the brand,” one wrote on Instagram.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 5, 2026
"If a university is willing to look the other way and not hold faculty accountable for engaging in academically dishonest behavior, it cheapens its mission and the value of its education," Ms Fox said.
From BBC ● Dec. 20, 2023
To make his case, Paul argues that consumers benefit from a popular business tactic in Big Tech called "vertical integration," where a company streamlines and cheapens its operations by owning multiple stages of production.
From Salon ● Jun. 18, 2022
It cheapens everything, doesn’t it, if this man thinks we’re only giving him everything we have on us because we may not have any use for it ten minutes from now.
From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera
“On the one hand, I like the premium glass, iconic bottle that we have. On the other hand, we’ve cheapened it by adding a plastic cap to it. We will be rectifying that.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
As these markets have cheapened, investors may want to look at deeply discounted BDCs and closed-end junk-bond and leveraged-loan funds.
From Barron's ● Mar. 27, 2026
Lithium batteries have cheapened at a comparable pace, and the cost of wind turbines has dropped steadily too, albeit at a slower rate.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2024
Chinese stocks have cheapened as a result, to a price-to-earnings ratio of 11%, the lowest among major Asian markets.
From Reuters ● Nov. 15, 2023
She could not believe he had brought Arize up like that, cheapened Arize’s memory in order to make a point in a spurious argument.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
The automaker is seeking to protect its brand integrity and prevent dealers from cheapening the image of its brands with fire-sale tactics.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
"The way they do their buffet and their salad bar, it feels like they are cheapening on their quality and have lower standards...They're giving away so much food and you're like 'How?'"
From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2025
On the energy front, motor fuel may be cheapening, but fuel and electricity for home use are still pricey.
From Slate ● Jun. 17, 2024
“You both are cheapening our degrees,” he said Dec. 26 on X. “The damage is getting worse with your lies. You’ve lost our confidence.”
From Washington Times ● Dec. 31, 2023
It is not the case of a country seeking to reject the cheapening metal, and to supply its place with the metal which is continually becoming scarcer and dearer....
From Readings in Money and Banking Selected and Adapted by Chester Arthur Phillips
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