bargain

Q: What does "bargain" mean?

1. (a cheap purchase) something bought for a much lower price than usual. 2. (an agreement) an agreement between two people or groups where each side promises to do something. 3. (to negotiate) to talk with someone to try to get a lower price or a better deal.

Word

01a cheap purchase

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun

n. something bought for a much lower price than usual.

n. an advantageous purchase, typically one acquired at a price significantly below the market value.

“I found this designer jacket for twenty dollars; it was a real bargain.”

“The antique dealer realised the painting was a bargain only after he had already committed to the sale at the lower price.”

Synonyms

deal stealgood buy

Antonyms

rip-offovercharge

02an agreement

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun

n. an agreement between two people or groups where each side promises to do something.

n. a mutual agreement or contract between parties concerning the exchange of goods, services, or obligations.

“We made a bargain: I would cook dinner if he did the dishes.”

“The union and the management finally struck a bargain that satisfied the workers' demands for better safety protocols.”

Synonyms

agreement contract pact

03to negotiate

B2 · Upper Intermediate

v. to talk with someone to try to get a lower price or a better deal.

v. to negotiate the terms and conditions of a transaction or agreement; often intransitive when describing the act of haggling.

“You should try to bargain with the street vendors to get a better price.”

“The diplomats spent several weeks bargaining for the release of the political prisoners before a formal treaty was signed.”

Usage

Often used with the preposition 'with' for the person and 'for' for the object.

Synonyms

haggle negotiate barter

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “bargain” in context.

Verb

01. drive a hard bargain

“She is a tough negotiator who always drives a hard bargain to get the best price.”

verb + noun

02. keep your side of the bargain

“I helped you with the report, so now you must keep your side of the bargain.”

verb + possessive + noun

03. strike a bargain

“After hours of discussion, the two companies finally managed to strike a bargain.”

verb + noun

Adjective

04. collective bargain

“The union is currently involved in a collective bargain for better working conditions.”

adj + noun

05. real bargain

“At only ten dollars, this designer shirt is a real bargain.”

adj + noun

Noun

06. bargain hunter

“The store was crowded with bargain hunters looking for the best end-of-season deals.”

noun + noun

07. bargain price

“We managed to book our flights at a bargain price by traveling mid-week.”

noun + noun

Preposition

08. at a bargain

“He bought the vintage car at a bargain because the previous owner needed a quick sale.”

prep + noun

“So getting ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini to help with your speech or holiday plans is a bargain.”

BBC News 11 Aug 2026

“OK, you travel for 10km more than you bargained for, but that's not such a big problem," he says.”

BBC News 25 Aug 2026

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.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

NOUN

bargain(B2)

bargaining(B2)