What does cheapened mean?
'Cheapened' is the past tense and past participle of the verb 'cheapen', meaning to make something cheaper in price or, more figuratively, to make it seem less valuable, dignified, or respectable. The literal sense applies to goods and services whose cost has fallen — mass production, for instance, cheapened everyday commodities. The figurative sense is far more common in modern usage and carries a distinctly negative tone: a scandal can cheapen a public office, overuse can cheapen a compliment, and exploitative treatment can leave people feeling cheapened. This sense implies a loss of worth that goes beyond money, touching on integrity and prestige. The word derives from 'cheap', which in Old English meant trade or a market — hence Cheapside in London — before narrowing to mean inexpensive. Writers often reach for 'cheapened' when they want to suggest that something once valued has been diminished by commerce, repetition, or disrespect.
verbPast tense and past participle of 'cheapen': to lower the price or perceived quality of something, or to make someone or something seem less worthy, dignified, or valuable.
- To reduce the price of something, or to cause it to be sold at a lower price.
- To make something appear less valuable, respectable, or prestigious.
- To make a person feel degraded, undignified, or of lesser worth.
"The endless discounting cheapened the brand's once-premium image."
"Mass production cheapened the cost of clothing for ordinary families."
"She refused the bribe, saying it would have cheapened everything she had worked for."
'Cheap' didn't always mean low-quality — it comes from an old word for trade itself, which is why London's famous Cheapside was once its busiest marketplace.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cheapened
'Cheapened' derives from the verb 'cheapen', formed in English from the adjective 'cheap'. 'Cheap' traces back to Old English 'cēap', meaning trade, purchase, or price, which was borrowed into Germanic languages from Latin 'caupō' (a dealer or innkeeper); related forms appear across Germanic, including Old Norse 'kaup'. Over time the noun narrowed from the general notion of trade or market price to specifically mean low-priced, giving rise to the verb 'cheapen' in the sixteenth century. Cognate and derivative words include 'chapman' (an archaic term for a pedlar or trader) and the place-name Cheapside, preserving the older sense of 'market'.
Related word forms
How cheapened is actually used
When applied to people or abstract things such as reputations, relationships, or achievements, 'cheapened' carries a strongly negative connotation of moral or symbolic devaluation rather than any literal price change. It is common in both formal criticism and everyday speech.