The spelling of the word cheapened, /ˈtʃiːpənd/, reflects its pronunciation. The /tʃ/ sound followed by /i:/ and /p/ are pronounced with the tongue touching the hard palate, while the /ə/ sound is pronounced with an unstressed, neutral position of the tongue. The last syllable /end/ is pronounced with the /d/ sound and the final /ən/ sound in a similar way. Cheapened means to lower the quality or value of something, often by making it less expensive.
Cheapened (verb):
1. To diminish the value, quality, or importance of something, often resulting in a reduction in its price or worth. It refers to the action of making something appear or seem less valuable, thereby reducing its cost or decreasing people's perception of its worth.
2. To debase or lower the standard or worth of something, mar its reputation, or lessen its integrity. Cheapened can refer to actions or behaviors that contribute to deteriorating the credibility, reputation, or prestige of something or someone, resulting in a diminished perception of their true value.
3. To trivialize or lessen the significance or importance of a concept, idea, or principle, often by oversimplifying or diluting its essence. Cheapened might describe the process of reducing the profoundness or weight of a thought, belief, or philosophy, making it appear shallow or superficial.
4. To reduce the cost or price of a commodity, product, or service in order to attract customers or increase its affordability, often resulting in a compromise on its quality or value. Cheapened might indicate the act of lowering the price or cutting corners to make a product more accessible, but potentially at the expense of its overall standard. The term cheapened can apply to various domains, including economic, social, cultural, or intellectual contexts.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "cheapened" is derived from the verb "cheapen", which originated from the Old English word "ciepan". In Old English, "ciepan" meant to barter, sell, or exchange goods. Over time, the meaning of "ciepan" evolved to include the sense of reducing the price or value of something. This eventually led to the modern usage of "cheapen", meaning to make something less valuable or inexpensive. The suffix "-en" in "cheapened" is added to the root word to form the past participle tense.