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

By comparison, $125 million was “a bargain for the county,” said Govan, “Because they had the liability of ownership of those buildings and the deferred maintenance was extraordinary.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

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

And I have consistently paid about $1,500 in annual union dues in the belief that my union would use the money to bargain for better wages, fair working conditions and classroom improvements.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 17, 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

“We’ll count that as part of the bargain, for you are a bold chicken, we must admit.”

From "The Black Cauldron" by Lloyd Alexander