hard sell

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noun
  1. a method of advertising or selling that is direct, forceful, and insistent; high-pressure salesmanship (opposed to soft sell).

Origin of hard sell

1
An Americanism dating back to 1950–55

Words Nearby hard sell

Other definitions for hard-sell (2 of 2)

hard-sell
[ hahrd-sel ]

verb (used with or without object),hard-sold, hard-sell·ing.
  1. to sell or advertise (something) in a forceful and insistent way: to hard-sell new car models to reluctant buyers.

  2. to convince (someone) in a forceful and insistent way: to hard-sell customers on a new product.

adjective
  1. characterized by or promoted through a hard sell: hard-sell tactics.

Origin of hard-sell

2
An Americanism dating back to 1955–60

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use hard sell in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for hard sell

hard sell

noun
  1. an aggressive insistent technique of selling or advertising: Compare soft sell

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with hard sell

hard sell

An aggressive, high-pressure sales practice or promotion, as in Used-car salesmen tend to give you a hard sell. This expression gave rise to the antonym soft sell, a low-key sales approach that relies on gentle persuasion. [Colloquial; c. 1950]

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.