bargain-basement

1 of 2

adjective

bar·​gain-base·​ment ˈbär-gən-ˈbās-mənt 

1

: of inferior quality or worth

2

: markedly inexpensive

bargain-basement rates

bargain basement

2 of 2

noun

: a section of a store (such as the basement) where merchandise is sold at reduced prices

Synonyms

Adjective

• affordable
• budget
• cheap
• cheapie
• cheapo
• chintzy
• cut-price [chiefly British]
• cut-rate
• dime-store
• dirt cheap
• el cheapo
• inexpensive
• low
• low-end
• popular
• reasonable

Examples of bargain-basement in a Sentence

Adjective

throughout the trip we ate at bargain-basement restaurants in order to save money

bargain-basement shoes that fell apart after a week

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

At the same time, sellers have been reluctant to give up bargain-basement mortgage rates obtained before the Federal Reserve started raising borrowing costs in the winter of 2022 to control inflation. —Jeff Collins, Orange County Register, 9 Oct. 2024

After Disney+ launched in 2019 at a bargain-basement price, the company put its efforts into producing dozens of shows specifically for the streamer, in an attempt to build subscriber interest and loyalty. —Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 1 Dec. 2024

Noun

With hefty spending on TV ads as well across Facebook, the company promoted clothing, jewelry, home goods and electronics at bargain basement prices. —Annie Palmer, CNBC, 16 Apr. 2025

These bargain basement EVs will have an early start over Volkswagen’s contender in this category, the ID.1, not expected on dealer lots until 2027. —Neil Winton, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1914, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

1899, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for bargain-basement

• abasement
• debasement
• defacement
• displacement
• effacement
• emplacement
• encasement
• misplacement
• outplacement
• replacement
• basement
• placement