bargain and deal 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”. deal means “act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression”. deal 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 | deal | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈbɑɹɡən/ | /ˈdil/ |
| Said | BAHR-guhn | deel |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Letters | 7 | 4 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb | verb, noun |
| Senses | 4 | 22 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | deal | cover, treat, handle |
Full entry for bargain · Full entry for deal · More comparisons
/ˈdil/
1.v.act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression
“This book deals with incest”
2.v.take into consideration for exemplifying purposes
“Take the case of China”
3.v.take action with respect to (someone or something)
“How are we going to deal with this problem?”