ENGLISH
REFERENCE

bargain

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //ˈbɑɹɡən// UK //bˈɑːɡɪn// bar·gain General-service

n. something you buy for a much lower price than usual. You use this word when you feel you got a great deal for your money.

n. an advantageous purchase, specifically an item acquired at a price significantly below its market value. Also refers to a formal agreement or contract between two parties.


SIMPLE

This leather jacket was a real bargain.

CONTEXTUAL

She found a great bargain at the local market, buying a high-quality winter coat for half the original price.

COMPLEX

While the initial price seemed like a bargain, the hidden maintenance costs eventually made the investment far more expensive than a newer model would have been.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English bargaynen (“to bargain, make a pledge for sale”), from Old French bargaigner (“to bargain”), from Frankish borganjan (“to borrow, lend”), from Proto-Germanic burgijaną (“to borrow, lend”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰergʰ- (“to protect, secure”). Akin to Old High German boragēn, borgēn (“to look after, care for”) (German borgen), Old English borgian (“to borrow, lend, pledge”). More at borrow. Compare French barguigner and Portuguese barganhar.

Usage

Commonly used with the verb 'to be' or 'to find'. Often takes the preposition 'at' when describing the price.

Idioms3 entries

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