cheapen

[ chee-puhn ]

verb (used with object)

1. to make cheap or cheaper.
2. to lower in esteem; bring into contempt:

   Constant swearing cheapened him.

3. to decrease the quality or beauty of; make inferior or vulgar:

   She cheapened the dress by adding a fringe to it.

4. Archaic. to bargain for.

verb (used without object)

1. to become cheap or cheaper.

cheapen

/ ˈtʃiːpən /

verb

1. to make or become lower in reputation, quality, etc; degrade or be degraded
2. to make or become cheap or cheaper

Derived Forms

• ˈcheapener, noun

Other Words From

• cheapen·er noun
• un·cheapened adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of cheapen¹

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

But the richness of the filmmaking, including the powerful acting, obfuscates the fact that the story itself is a pretty thin and silly mystery with twists that cheapen the intellectual quandary at the center of the tale.

From Los Angeles Times

The Lego format doesn’t cheapen the power of his message, but rather reflects the quirky, outside-the-box thinking of the artist himself, who has always marched to the beat of his own drum, steering the cultural ship according to his unique point of view.

From Los Angeles Times

Varella, the 30-year-old Austin-based director behind the “Get to You” video, said he was skeptical at first, concerned that AI tools could “cheapen” the art and that it could be seen as taking time away from visual effects artists.

From Los Angeles Times

Others argued that its inclusion would cheapen the connection to its roots Black and Latino communities in New York.

From Los Angeles Times

But he said using the antisemitic label to achieve political ends could cheapen it.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• debase
• degrade
• demean
• denigrate
• disparage
• mar
• minimize