Sell Definition and Meaning
By Urooj Arif & Maham Liaqat — Published on March 7, 2024
Sell means to exchange a product or service for money. e.g., He plans to sell his old car next week.
Table of Contents
Sell Definitions
To exchange something for money.
She sells handmade jewelry online.
To achieve a sale or make a business transaction.
She finally sold her invention to a major company.
Be responsible for the sale of;
All her publicity sold the products
To persuade someone to buy something.
The salesman managed to sell the expensive vacuum cleaner.
To deal in or trade a particular commodity.
The company sells organic produce to local markets.
To convince someone of an idea or concept.
He sold me on the idea of starting a fitness routine.
To auction or dispose of by bidding.
Rare artworks are sold at this prestigious auction house.
To transfer ownership of something through a transaction.
They sold their house last month.
To be purchased by buyers in a market.
This model of smartphone sells well.
To betray someone for personal gain.
He felt sold out by his friend's actions.
To make available for purchase.
The bakery sells fresh bread every morning.
To exchange or deliver for money or its equivalent
We sold our old car for a modest sum.
To offer or have available for sale
The store sells health foods.
To give up or surrender in exchange for a price or reward
Sell one's soul to the devil.
To be purchased in (a certain quantity); achieve sales of
A book that sold a million copies.
To bring about or encourage sales of; promote
Good publicity sold the product.
To cause to be accepted; advocate successfully
We sold the proposal to the school committee.
To persuade (another) to recognize the worth or desirability of something
They sold me on the idea.
To exchange ownership for money or its equivalent; engage in selling
Are any of the fruit vendors still selling?.
To be sold or be on sale
Grapes are selling high this season.
To attract prospective buyers; be popular on the market
An item that doesn't sell.
To be approved of; gain acceptance
An idea that just wouldn't sell.
An act or instance of selling
Ordered a sell of his shares in the company.
Something that sells or gains acceptance in a particular way
Their program to raise taxes will be a difficult sell.
(Slang) A deception; a hoax.
To transfer goods or provide services in exchange for money.
I'll sell you three books for a hundred dollars.
Sorry, I'm not prepared to sell.
(ergative) To be sold.
This old stock will never sell.
The corn sold for a good price.
To promote a product or service.
To promote a particular viewpoint.
My boss is very old-fashioned and I'm having a lot of trouble selling the idea of working at home occasionally.
To betray for money or other things.
(slang) To trick, cheat, or manipulate someone.
To pretend that an opponent's blows or maneuvers are causing legitimate injury; to act.
To work as a prostitute.
An act of selling; sale.
The promotion of an idea for acceptance.
This is going to be a tough sell.
An easy task.
An imposition, a cheat; a hoax; a disappointment; anything occasioning a loss of pride or dignity.
(obsolete) A seat or stool.
(archaic) A saddle.
A rope (usually for tying up cattle, but can also mean any sort of rope).
He picked up the sell from the straw-strewn barn-floor, snelly sneaked up behind her and sleekly slung it around her swire while scryingː "dee, dee ye fooking quhoreǃ".
A cell; a house.
A saddle for a horse.
He left his lofty steed with golden self.
A throne or lofty seat.
An imposition; a cheat; a hoax.
To transfer to another for an equivalent; to give up for a valuable consideration; to dispose of in return for something, especially for money. It is the correlative of buy.
If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor.
I am changed; I'll go sell all my land.
To make a matter of bargain and sale of; to accept a price or reward for, as for a breach of duty, trust, or the like; to betray.
You would have sold your king to slaughter.
To impose upon; to trick; to deceive; to make a fool of; to cheat.
To practice selling commodities.
I will buy with you, sell with you; . . . but I will not eat with you.
To be sold; as, corn sells at a good price.
The activity of persuading someone to buy;
It was a hard sell
Exchange or deliver for money or its equivalent;
He sold his house in January
She sells her body to survive and support her drug habit
Be sold at a certain price or in a certain way;
These books sell like hot cakes
Do business; offer for sale as for one's livelihood;
She deals in gold
The brothers sell shoes
Persuade somebody to accept something;
The French try to sell us their image as great lovers
Give up for a price or reward;
She sold her principles for a successful career
Deliver to an enemy by treachery;
Judas sold Jesus
The spy betrayed his country
Be approved of or gain acceptance;
The new idea sold well in certain circles
Sell Snonyms
Vend
To sell especially as a hawker or peddler.
He vends flowers at the local market.
Deal
To trade or do business.
He deals in rare books.
Market
To offer for sale or sell to the public.
The company markets its products worldwide.
Trade
To buy and sell goods and services.
She trades in antique furniture.
Merchandise
To sell or trade goods.
The band merchandised their new album alongside t-shirts.
Peddle
To sell (goods) by going from place to place.
The vendor peddles fruits and vegetables on the street.
Retail
To sell goods to the public in relatively small quantities for use or consumption rather than for resale.
The new boutique retails designer clothing.
Hawk
To sell goods, typically advertising them by shouting.
Street hawkers were hawking their wares in the busy market.
Dispense
To distribute or provide (a service or information) to a number of people.
The machine dispenses a range of snacks.
Distribute
To supply goods to stores and other businesses that sell to consumers.
The company distributes organic produce to local supermarkets.
Sell Idioms & Phrases
Sell someone short
To underestimate someone's abilities.
Don't sell yourself short; you're very talented.
Sell like hotcakes
To sell very quickly or in large quantities.
The new toy was selling like hotcakes.
Hard sell
Aggressive sales tactics.
The salesperson gave us the hard sell on the extended warranty.
Soft sell
A more subtle sales approach.
He prefers the soft sell, building a relationship with the customer first.
Sell down the river
To betray someone.
I can't believe he sold us down the river to get a better deal.
A tough sell
Something difficult to sell or persuade others to accept.
The new policy was a tough sell to the board.
Sell the sizzle, not the steak
To sell something by highlighting its benefits rather than its features.
In marketing, it's often more effective to sell the sizzle, not the steak.
Sell one's soul
To betray one's principles or values for personal gain.
He sold his soul for a chance at fame and fortune.
Sell at a loss
To sell something for less than it cost.
The store sold the old stock at a loss.
Sell past the close
Continuing to sell to a customer who has already decided to buy.
Be careful not to sell past the close and risk the deal.
Sell ice to Eskimos
To persuade people to go against their best interests or to buy something unnecessary.
He's so persuasive, he could sell ice to Eskimos.
Sell off
To sell assets or stock quickly, often at reduced prices.
The company had to sell off some assets to pay its debts.
Sell-by date
The last date a product is considered fresh.
Check the sell-by date before you buy the milk.
Sell someone on something
To convince someone of the merits of something.
He sold me on the benefits of meditation.
Sell out
To compromise one's values for personal gain.
Critics accused the artist of selling out by endorsing commercial products.
Sell up
To sell all one's possessions, often to move or retire.
They decided to sell up and move to the countryside.
Sell oneself
To promote one's abilities or qualities effectively.
You need to sell yourself better in interviews.
Sell a bill of goods
To deceive someone by selling something of lesser value than promised.
I think we were sold a bill of goods with this used car.
A hard sell
An item or idea that is difficult to sell or persuade others to buy.
Given the high price, it was a hard sell.
Sell high
To sell something when its value is at its peak.
The investor's strategy is to sell high.
Sell Example Sentences
The artist sells his paintings directly from his studio.
They hope to sell their old furniture before moving.
He sells ice cream at the beach during summer.
They sold the car to pay for their trip abroad.
That shop sells the best coffee in town.
She sold her idea to the board with a compelling presentation.
The farmer sells his produce at the local farmers' market.
The tickets for the concert will sell fast, so we should buy them now.
She managed to sell her old laptop for a good price.
Vintage clothes sell for high prices at that boutique.
Common Curiosities
What is a stressed syllable in sell?
The entire word sell is stressed, as it consists of only one syllable.
How is sell used in a sentence?
They plan to sell their products at the local market this weekend.
Why is it called sell?
It is called sell from the Old English sellan, meaning to give or deliver in exchange for money, reflecting the action of transferring ownership for payment.
How many syllables are in sell?
There is one syllable in sell.
How do we divide sell into syllables?
Sell is a single syllable word and cannot be divided further.
What is another term for sell?
Another term for sell is vend.
What part of speech is sell?
Sell is a verb.
What is the verb form of sell?
Sell itself is the base verb form.
What is the root word of sell?
The root of sell is the Old English sellan, which means to give or deliver in exchange for money.
What is the first form of sell?
The first form is sell.
Is sell an adverb?
No, sell is not an adverb.
Is sell a vowel or consonant?
The word sell starts with a consonant.
Which preposition is used with sell?
Prepositions like to, for, and at can be used with sell. e.g., Sell to the highest bidder.
What is the pronunciation of sell?
Sell is pronounced as /sɛl/.
What is the second form of sell?
The second form is sold.
What is the third form of sell?
The third form is sold.
What is the plural form of sell?
As a verb, sell does not have a plural form.
Is sell a noun or adjective?
Sell is primarily a verb, but it can be used as a noun in contexts like a hard sell.
Is sell a countable noun?
When used as a noun, sell can be countable in contexts like it was a tough sell.
Is the word “sell” a Direct object or an Indirect object?
Sell as a verb can have a direct object. e.g., She will sell the car.
What is the opposite of sell?
The opposite of sell is buy.
Is sell a collective noun?
No, sell is not typically used as a collective noun.
Is the sell term a metaphor?
Sell can be used metaphorically, especially in phrases like sell someone on an idea.
Is the word sell imperative?
Sell can be used in the imperative form, as in giving a command.
Which vowel is used before sell?
The usage of vowels before sell depends on the specific sentence structure, not applicable.
What is the singular form of sell?
Sell does not have a singular or plural form; it is a verb.
Is sell an abstract noun?
When used as a noun, sell refers to the act or an instance of selling, which is a concrete action, not an abstract concept.
Is sell a negative or positive word?
Sell is neutral; its positive or negative connotation depends on the context in which it is used.
Which determiner is used with sell?
Determiners are not typically used directly with the verb sell, but may be used with its objects. e.g., Sell the car.
Which conjunction is used with sell?
Conjunctions such as and, but, and or can be used with sell. e.g., Sell this and buy that.
Which article is used with sell?
Articles are not used directly with the verb sell but may be used with its objects. e.g., Sell the painting.
Is the word sell Gerund?
Selling is the gerund form of sell.
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Written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
