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:
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
Some customers on social media fretted that Anta, a mass-market brand, might cheapen the reputation of Arc’teryx.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 6, 2025
Would the public spectacle cheapen my private affection for it?
From New York Times ● Mar. 23, 2024
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
“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
He’s incapable of not playing all out, believing it cheapens the game and himself.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 27, 2023
The election, and subsequent induction, of Scott Rolen to the Baseball Hall of Fame cheapens the Hall for all who came before him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 28, 2023
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
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
The surge in China’s trade surplus isn’t a byproduct of a cheapened yuan, but despite a relatively stronger currency, he says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025
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
Later in the interview, the “Taken” star remarked that he felt the stream of “Star Wars” content had cheapened the franchise.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2023
Sitting there in the half-darkness, Ben felt cheapened, irreparably damaged by this girl he had known most of his life.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
I won’t spoil how, but it’s emotionally ruinous for the people involved, even if Mr. Laxe stages it with a bit of cheapening suspense.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2025
"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
The great quantity of coarse freights, that could only be profitably carried long distances by water, has revolutionized the type of vessel used for its transportation, making large steamers imperative, consolidating interests and cheapening methods.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 4 "Grasshopper" to "Greek Language" by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
