hard-sell
[ hahrd-sel ]
/ ˈhɑrdˈsɛl /
verb (used with or without object), hard-sold, hard-sell·ing.
to sell or advertise (something) in a forceful and insistent way: to hard-sell new car models to reluctant buyers.
to convince (someone) in a forceful and insistent way: to hard-sell customers on a new product.
adjective
characterized by or promoted through a hard sell: hard-sell tactics.
QUIZZES
CHALLENGE YOURSELF WITH THESE WORDS FROM "LITTLE WOMEN"
"Little Women" may be a classic, but that doesn't mean we all know the meanings of the vocab words from the book. Can you define these words correctly and make Jo proud?
Question 1 of 10
earnest
Origin of hard-sell
An Americanism dating back to 1955–60
Words nearby hard-sell
hard-of-hearing, hard-on, hard-pressed, hard-put, hard-rock, hard-sell, hard-set, hard-shell, hard-shell clam, hard-shell crab, hard-spun
Definition for hard-sell (2 of 2)
hard sell
noun
a method of advertising or selling that is direct, forceful, and insistent; high-pressure salesmanship (opposed to soft sell).
Origin of hard sell
An Americanism dating back to 1950–55
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
British Dictionary definitions for hard-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
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]
A difficult sales prospect, one who resists sales pressure. For example, Those brokers who call us at dinnertime find me a hard sell—I usually just hang up on them. [Late 1900s]
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.