To cheapen something means to make it seem less valuable, special, or worthy of respect. When you cheapen an achievement by bragging too much about it, you make it feel less impressive to others. When a store cheapens its brand by selling poorly made products, customers start thinking less of everything that store offers.

The word often describes what happens when something loses its dignity or meaning through overuse or poor treatment. A tradition can be cheapened when people stop taking it seriously and just go through the motions. A compliment gets cheapened when someone hands it out to everyone for everything, until the words stop meaning much at all. If you tell every single classmate they're your “best friend,” you've cheapened what it means to be someone's best friend.

Notice that cheapen doesn't just mean making something cost less money. It means reducing its worth in a broader sense. You might cheapen a friendship by lying or breaking promises. A politician might cheapen an important debate by resorting to name-calling instead of discussing real ideas.

The word carries disappointment: something that should matter ends up feeling ordinary or fake.