Standard Lemma guide

cheapen

verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈtʃiːpən/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: CH IY1 P AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To decrease the value or price of; to make cheaper.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To make vulgar.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To become cheaper.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To bargain for, ask the price of.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

lower the grade of something; reduce its worth

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: degrade

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: worsen, aggravate, exacerbate, exasperate

Narrower terms: devalue, devaluate

History

Etymology

From cheap + -en.

Across languages

Translations

30 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: يُرَخِّص (yuraḵḵiṣ) — to make cheaper
  • Catalan: desencarir — to make cheaper
  • Czech: zlevnit — to make cheaper
  • Finnish: laskea hintaa — to make cheaper
  • Finnish: alentaa hintaa — to make cheaper
  • Finnish: halpuuttaa — to make cheaper
  • Finnish: halventaa — to make cheaper
  • French: déprécier — to make cheaper
  • French: dévaluer — to make cheaper
  • Ido: chipigar — to make cheaper
  • Irish: ísligh — to make cheaper
  • Portuguese: baratear — to make cheaper
  • Portuguese: depreciar — to make cheaper
  • Portuguese: desvalorizar — to make cheaper
  • Russian: удешевля́ть (udeševljátʹ) — to make cheaper
  • Russian: удешеви́ть (udeševítʹ) — to make cheaper
  • Ukrainian: здеше́влювати (zdešévljuvaty) — to make cheaper
  • Ukrainian: здешеви́ти (zdeševýty) — to make cheaper
  • Finnish: halventaa — to make vulgar
  • Portuguese: vulgarizar — to make vulgar
  • Portuguese: rebaixar — to make vulgar
  • Arabic: يَرْخُص (yarḵuṣ) — to become cheaper
  • Bulgarian: поевтинявам (poevtinjavam) — to become cheaper
  • Catalan: desencarir-se — to become cheaper
  • Czech: zlevnit — to become cheaper
  • Finnish: halveta — to become cheaper
  • Finnish: halventua — to become cheaper
  • Irish: ísligh — to become cheaper
  • Portuguese: depreciar — to become cheaper
  • Finnish: tinkiä — to bargain for