cheapen

verb

cheap·​en ˈchē-pən 

cheapened; cheapening ˈchēp-niŋ 

ˈchē-pə-

transitive verb

1

[obsolete English cheap to price, bid for] archaic

a

: to ask the price of

b

: to bid or bargain for

2

a

: to make cheap in price or value

b

: to lower in general esteem

c

: to make tawdry, vulgar, or inferior

intransitive verb

: to become cheap

Synonyms

• attenuate
• break
• depreciate
• depress
• devaluate
• devalue
• downgrade
• lower
• mark down
• reduce
• sink
• write down
• write off

Examples of cheapen in a Sentence

products cheapened by sloppy workmanship

Using the national flag in advertising only cheapens it.

Poor marketing can cheapen a brand name.

I thought that the show cheapened the lives of the people it portrayed.

The wedding ceremony was cheapened by the best man's tasteless jokes.

Recent Examples on the Web

The plane has cheapened and revolutionized sheep hunting. —Jack O’Connor, Outdoor Life, 4 Sep. 2024

Dipping its toes into new categories to boost its bottom line could cheapen the brand. —Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2024

Others argued that its inclusion would cheapen the connection to its roots, Black and Latino communities in New York. —Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 9 Aug. 2024

To call politics war cheapens the sacrifices made by actual soldiers and turns our political opponents from good people (who have good reasons for wanting different policies) to enemies (who have no redeeming qualities and must be destroyed). —Jennifer Mercieca, TIME, 15 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1562, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1