bargain and buy share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. bargain means “an agreement between parties (usually arrived at after discussion) fixing obligations of each”. buy means “obtain by purchase; acquire by means of a financial transaction”. buy is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈbɑɹɡən/
1.n.an agreement between parties (usually arrived at after discussion) fixing obligations of each
“he made a bargain with the devil”
2.n.an advantageous purchase
“she got a bargain at the auction”
3.v.negotiate the terms of an exchange
“We bargained for a beautiful rug in the bazaar”
| bargain | buy | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈbɑɹɡən/ | /ˈbaɪ/ |
| Said | BAHR-guhn | bahy |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Letters | 7 | 3 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb | verb, noun |
| Senses | 4 | 6 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | deal | purchase |
Full entry for bargain · Full entry for buy · More comparisons
/ˈbaɪ/
1.v.obtain by purchase; acquire by means of a financial transaction
“The family purchased a new car”
2.v.make illegal payments to in exchange for favors or influence
“This judge can be bought”
3.v.be worth or be capable of buying
“This sum will buy you a ride on the train”