cheapen out
C1 informal intransitive
In simple words
To be too cheap and choose a worse option to save money, when you should have spent more.
Literal meaning: To cheapen out — to choose the cheaper option and thereby exit from quality or expectations.
Meanings
1 C1
idiomatic
informal
To choose a cheaper, lower-quality option when something better was expected, typically due to a desire to save money.
"They really cheapened out on the wedding venue — you could tell they'd spent almost nothing on decoration."
Usage notes
A less common variant of 'cheap out'. Carries a negative, critical tone — implying the person made a disappointing or unworthy choice. More common in American English informal speech. Not widely used by most native speakers.
Commonly used with
gift materials packaging product service
Forms
Base
cheapen out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
cheapens out
he/she/it
Past simple
cheapened out
yesterday
Past participle
cheapened out
have + pp
-ing form
cheapening out
continuous
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Synonyms
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