What does cheapen mean?
Word: Cheapen
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Cheapen means to make something seem less valuable or less respected, or to make it cost less.
Synonyms: degrade, lower
Antonyms: enhance, enrich
How do you spell cheapen?
Syllables: cheap - en
Tricky part: The long ee sound is spelt ea, exactly as in cheap. The ending is -en, the verb-making ending, not -an or -on.
Watch out for: cheepen, cheapan, chepen
Memory tip: Many adjectives turn into verbs with -en: sharp, sharpen; weak, weaken; cheap, cheapen. Spell cheap first and the rest follows.
Cheapen in a sentence
Example 1: Thin, shiny paper would cheapen the look of the wedding cards.
Example 2: Do not cheapen your win by boasting about it.
Example 3: Selling a brand at huge discounts every week can cheapen its name.
Fun Fact
Cheap comes from the Old English ceap, meaning trade or bargaining. Cheapside, a street in London, got its name because it was once a busy market.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word:
cheapen
a) devalue
b) honour
c) polish
d) reward
Show answer
a) devalue. To cheapen something is to make it worth less, and that is what devalue means.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the correctly spelt word:
a) enlightin
b) cheapen
c) threatten
d) strenghten
Show answer
b) cheapen. Strengthen has the g before th, threaten has one t, and enlighten ends in -en.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
phenace
a) chapel
b) peahen
c) cheapen
d) cheaper
Show answer
c) cheapen. Peahen comes close, but it leaves the c unused.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
Rows of plastic chairs would cheapen the look of the spectaculer new auditorium.
a) chairs
b) cheapen
c) spectaculer
d) auditorium
Show answer
c) spectaculer. Spectacular ends in -ar, as in popular.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. What would cheapen a beautiful old palace?
a) cleaning its steps every morning
b) lighting rows of lamps at night
c) repairing its carved stone roof
d) covering its walls with advertisements
Show answer
d) covering its walls with advertisements
2. Which verb is made from an adjective with -en, in the same way as cheapen?
a) kitchen
b) oxen
c) widen
d) garden
Show answer
c) widen
