sell

[ sel ]

/ sɛl /

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See synonyms for: sell / selling / sold / sellable on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), sold, sell·ing.

to transfer (goods) to or render (services) for another in exchange for money; dispose of to a purchaser for a price: He sold the car to me for $1000.

to deal in; keep or offer for sale: He sells insurance. This store sells my favorite brand.

to make a sale or offer for sale to: He'll sell me the car for $1000.

to persuade or induce (someone) to buy something: The salesman sold me on a more expensive model than I wanted.

to persuade or induce someone to buy (something): The clerk really sold the shoes to me by flattery.

to make sales of: The hot record sold a million copies this month.

to cause to be accepted, especially generally or widely: to sell an idea to the public.

to cause or persuade to accept; convince: to sell the voters on a candidate.

to accept a price for or make a profit of (something not a proper object for such action): to sell one's soul for political power.

to force or exact a price for: The defenders of the fort sold their lives dearly.

Informal. to cheat, betray, or hoax.

verb (used without object), sold, sell·ing.

to engage in selling something: Investment advisors agree that it’s time to sell.

to be sold; to draw sales: His album is selling well.The game sold poorly in Japan.

to offer something for sale:I like this house—will they sell?

to be employed to persuade or induce others to buy, as a salesperson or a clerk in a store: One sister is a cashier and the other sells.

to have a specific price; be offered for sale at the price indicated (followed by at or for): Eggs used to sell at sixty cents a dozen. This shirt sells for thirty dollars.

to be in demand by buyers: On a rainy day, umbrellas really sell.

to win acceptance, approval, or adoption: Here's an idea that'll sell.

noun

an act or method of selling: Your home could be a profitable sell.

Stock Exchange. a security to be sold.

Informal. a cheat; hoax.

Verb Phrases

sell off, to sell, especially at reduced prices, in order to get rid of: The city is selling off a large number of small lots at public auction.

sell out,

to dispose of entirely by selling: They sold out of Johnny's brownies before the bake sale was half over.
to betray (an associate, one's country, one’s principles, a cause, etc.): He would never sell out to the enemy.

sell up, British. to sell out: She was forced to sell up her entire stock of crystal.

OTHER WORDS FOR sell

1 exchange, vend.

See synonyms for sell on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR sell

1 buy.

See antonyms for sell on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about sell

sell someone a bill of goods, Informal. bill of goods (def. 3).

sell short. short (def. 50).

Origin of sell

First recorded before 900; Middle English sellen, Old English sellan, originally, “to give,” hence, “to give up (someone) to an enemy, betray, exchange for money”; cognate with Old Norse selja, Low German sellen, Gothic saljan “to give up, sell,” originally, “to cause to take”; akin to Greek heleîn “to take, grasp”

synonym study for sell

1. See trade.

OTHER WORDS FROM sell

sell·a·ble, adjective

Words nearby sell

selkie, Selkirk, Selkirk Mountains, Selkirk Rex, Selkirkshire, sell, Sella, sell a bill of goods, Sellafield, sell-back, sell-by date

Other definitions for sell (2 of 2)

sell²

[ sel ]

/ sɛl /

noun, adjective, pronoun Scot.

self.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use sell in a sentence

On Earth, claiming that an environment is lifeless is a tough scientific sell.
Missing Antarctic microbes raise thorny questions about the search for aliens|Elise Cutts|July 20, 2021|Science News
Big Tech has made that a hard sell in America, simply because the companies have created so much value for consumers.
What does breaking up Big Tech really mean?|James Surowiecki|June 30, 2021|MIT Technology Review
At the full retail price of $249, these can be a tough sell.
Libratone Q Adapt On-ear Headphone Review: this is what a ‘made for Google’ sticker gets you|empire|June 25, 2021|Popular-Science
So it wasn’t a hard sell when the North Face asked Chin, who has been sponsored by the company for 20 years, to colead its new Explore Fund Council.
Jimmy Chin's Plan to Make the Outdoors More Inclusive|Kathy Karlo|May 11, 2021|Outside Online

This will be a hard sell for many minorities who already have low homeownership rates, in large part because of housing discrimination.
Covid forced more borrowers to be late on their mortgages than at any time since the Great Recession, CFPB reports|Michelle Singletary|May 7, 2021|Washington Post
The Dallas Cowboys sell out their state-of-the art football stadium.
Will Texas Stay Texan?|David Fontana|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As more people come online, the most basic tasks—such as going out to the market to sell produce—will become more efficient.
Silicon Valley Sets Its Sights on Africa|Christian Borys|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Along the Prado they used to sell slaves on the auction block, too.
The Life and Hard Times Of The Family A Cuban Defector Left Behind|Brin-Jonathan Butler|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As for the political class, I doubt I need to give you a very hard sell on its failure.
The U.S. Will Torture Again—and We’re All to Blame|Michael Tomasky|December 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Question 9: If the female captive was impregnated by her owner, can he then sell her?
ISIS Jihadis Get ‘Slavery for Dummies’|Jamie Dettmer|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He couldn't sell them; he couldn't burn them; he was even compelled to insure them, to his intense disgust.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
Those four pictures—I would not sell those four Watteaus for one hundred thousand francs.
Checkmate|Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
He thought these things over carefully and finally decided that he would sell them himself.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux
For an Indian to sell a horse and wagon in the San Jacinto valley was not an easy thing, unless he would give them away.
Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson
For us to take her place it became necessary for us to loan before we could sell and buy.
Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips

British Dictionary definitions for sell

sell

/ (sɛl) /

verb sells, selling or sold

to dispose of or transfer or be disposed of or transferred to a purchaser in exchange for money or other consideration; put or be on sale

to deal in (objects, property, etc)he sells used cars for a living

(tr) to give up or surrender for a price or rewardto sell one's honour

to promote or facilitate the sale of (objects, property, etc)publicity sells many products

to induce or gain acceptance ofto sell an idea

(intr) to be in demand on the marketthese dresses sell well in the spring

(tr) informal to deceive or cheat

(tr foll by on) to persuade to accept or approve (of)to sell a buyer on a purchase

sell down the river informal to betray

sell oneself

to convince someone else of one's potential or worth
to give up one's moral or spiritual standards, etc

sell short

informal to disparage or belittle
finance to sell securities or goods without owning them in anticipation of buying them before delivery at a lower price

noun

the act or an instance of sellingCompare hard sell, soft sell

informal

a trick, hoax, or deception
Irish a great disappointmentthe service in the hotel was a sell

See also sell in, sell off, sell out, sell up

Derived forms of sell

sellable, adjective

Word Origin for sell

Old English sellan to lend, deliver; related to Old Norse selja to sell, Gothic saljan to offer sacrifice, Old High German sellen to sell, Latin cōnsilium advice

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 sell

sell

In addition to the idioms beginning with sell

sell a bill of goods
sell down the river
sell like hot cakes
sell off
sell oneself
sell out
sell short
sell someone on

also see:

hard sell
like hot cakes, sell

sell

OTHER WORDS FOR sell

OPPOSITES FOR sell

Idioms about sell

Origin of sell

synonym study for sell

OTHER WORDS FROM sell

Words nearby sell

Other definitions for sell (2 of 2)

Words related to sell

How to use sell in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sell

Derived forms of sell

Word Origin for sell

Other Idioms and Phrases with sell