bargain basement

¹ American  

noun

1. a basement area in some stores where goods are sold at prices lower than usual.

---

bargain-basement ² American  

[bahr-guhn-beys-muhnt] / ˈbɑr gənˌbeɪs mənt /

adjective

1. very low-priced.

2. noticeably lacking in quality; inferior.

---

bargain basement British  

noun

1. part of a shop where goods are sold at reduced prices

---

Etymology

Origin of bargain basement¹

First recorded in 1895–1900

Origin of bargain-basement²

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

You got on the property ladder at a bargain basement price, and doubled down on that cost effectiveness by building a house.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 10, 2026

He also looks for managers who deliver higher returns on equity rather than shopping in the bargain basement for the biggest discounts.

From Barron's • Feb. 27, 2026

Chris Edwards, a businessman from Yorkshire, has spent more than 50 years working in retail's bargain basement.

From BBC • Nov. 20, 2025

Those bargain basement deals are squeezing profit margins, though the company remains profitable and still sells more EVs than other automakers.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2024

When Mama took us to the bargain basement sales in the Loveman’s and Pizitz department stores, we never asked why we couldn’t try on clothes.

From "While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement" by Carolyn Maull McKinstry

Related Words

• competitive
• economical
• low-cost
• low-priced
• reasonable