sellout

[ sel-out ]

/ ˈsɛlˌaʊt /

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See synonyms for sellout on Thesaurus.com

noun

Informal. a person who compromises their personal values, integrity, talent, etc., for money or personal advancement.

Informal. a person who betrays a cause, organization, or the like; traitor.

an act or instance of selling out.

an entertainment, as a show or athletic event, for which all the seats are sold.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of sellout

An Americanism dating back to 1855–60; noun use of verb phrase sell out

Words nearby sellout

selling short, sell like hot cakes, sell-off, sell oneself, Sellotape, sellout, sell short, sell someone on, sell-through, sell up, Selma

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

How to use sellout in a sentence

One, treat each other with respect–don’t say that guy’s a sellout or this person has no courage.
The Great Kibitzer: How Chuck Schumer Got the Senate Moving Again|Molly Ball|September 2, 2021|Time
So, too, is this Baltimore Orioles team — one on the upswing but enduring growing pains on a big league stage, as shown by a 7-3 loss to the Boston Red Sox before an announced sellout crowd of 10,150 in the club’s home opener.
Orioles endure growing pains in loss to Red Sox as fans return to Camden Yards|Jon Meoli|April 8, 2021|Washington Post
The Dayton Dragons, a Class A league team owned by the Cincinnati Reds that holds the longest sellout streak of any sports team in America, draws 540,000 fans to the Ohio city’s downtown every summer.
Can Small-Town America Survive Pandemic’s Hit to Minor League Baseball?|Charu Kasturi|September 14, 2020|Ozy
The biggest, most well-funded competitions, like Activision-Blizzard’s Overwatch League, are held in-person in massive arenas like Madison Square Garden, often before sellout crowds.
'Something Needs to Fill That Void.' As Stadiums Go Quiet, Esports Are Having a Moment|Matthew Gault|March 31, 2020|Time

If one is a person of color and a conservative, one must then be an Uncle Tom, a sellout to his or her race.
In Kentucky, Elaine Chao Endures Racist Attacks From Liberals|Ron Christie|August 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But if you live on tea party planet, Boehner has been a sellout.
On Border, a Huge Win for the Hard Right|Michael Tomasky|August 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The contention was that a sellout was taking place led by, of all people, Richard Nixon, who originally exposed Alger Hiss.
The End of the Illusion: America Finally Learns Its Limits|Jacob Heilbrunn|April 30, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Ideological polarization, however, eviscerates the center by treating compromise as a sellout.
The Bill Clinton and DLC Model For Reinventing the Republican Party|Will Marshall|March 14, 2013|DAILY BEAST
It also requires that liberals think differently about politics and not interpret every Obama shortcoming as some kind of sellout.
How Obama Can Become Our Era’s Reagan|Michael Tomasky|January 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST
"That was the dirtiest sellout I've ever heard, Manning," Tom growled.
Stand by for Mars!|Carey Rockwell

British Dictionary definitions for sellout

sell out

verb (adverb)

to dispose of (supplies of something) completely by sellingAlso (chiefly Brit): sell up

(tr) informal to betray, esp through a secret agreement

(intr) informal to abandon one's principles, standards, etc

noun sellout

informal a performance for which all tickets are sold

a commercial success

informal a betrayal

informal a person who betrays their principles, standards, friends, etc

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 sellout

sell out

Dispose of entirely by selling. For example, The rancher finally sold out to the oil company, or The tickets to the concert were sold out a month ago. [Late 1700s]

Betray one's cause or colleagues, as in He sold out to the other side. [Slang; late 1800s]