verb · neutral
cheapen
/ˈtʃiːpən/CHEAP·en
Band 6-7speakingtask2
to make something seem of lower quality or value
Examples
“Many critics argue that tabloids have cheapened political debate.”
“Mass production can cheapen traditional crafts by reducing them to souvenirs.”
“Excessive advertising risks cheapening the image of educational institutions.”
Band 8 sentence
“Commercialisation has cheapened many traditional crafts, turning unique cultural expressions into mass-produced souvenirs.”
Collocations
- cheapen the image
- cheapen culture
- cheapen the value
Word family
cheapen verb (base)cheapens verb (3rd sg)cheapened verb (past/past participle) / adjectivecheapening verb (gerund/participle)cheapness nouncheap adjective (related)
Common mistakes
make the culture cheap→cheapen the culture / make the culture cheaper
cheap the tradition→cheapen the tradition
Say it for a higher band
5make cheap→6cheap (used as verb incorrectly)→7+cheapen
Synonyms
devalue
demean
Easily confused
cheap
“That brand is cheap but popular among students.”
Related words
Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.
In -en
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