Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense sells, present participle selling, past tense, past participle sold
1. verb
If you sell something that you own, you let someone have it in return for money.
I sold everything I owned except for my car and my books. [VERB noun]
His heir sold the painting to the London art dealer Agnews. [VERB noun + to]
The directors sold the business for £14.8 million. [VERB noun + for]
It's not a very good time to sell at the moment. [VERB]
[Also V n n, Vto n]
Synonyms: trade, dispose of, offer for sale, exchange More Synonyms of sell
2. verb
If a shop sells a particular thing, it is available for people to buy there.
It sells everything from hair ribbons to oriental rugs. [VERB noun]
Bean sprouts are also sold in cans. [beVERB-ed]
[Also VERB noun noun]
Synonyms: deal in, market, trade in, carry More Synonyms of sell
3. verb
If something sellsfor a particular price, that price is paid for it.
Unmodernised property can sell for up to 40 per cent of its modernised market value. [V + for/at]
... grain sells at 10 times usual prices. [Vfor/at n]
Synonyms: be priced at, cost, go for, sell at More Synonyms of sell
4. verb
If something sells, it is bought by the public, usually in fairly large quantities.
Even if this album doesn't sell and the critics don't like it, we wouldn't ever change. [VERB]
The company believes the products will sell well in the run-up to Christmas. [VERB adverb]
Synonyms: be bought, go, move, be purchased More Synonyms of sell
5. verb
Something that sells a product makes people want to buy the product.
It is only the sensational that sells news magazines. [VERB noun]
...car manufacturers' long-held maxim that safety doesn't sell. [VERB]
6. verb
If you sell someone an idea or proposal, or sell someone on an idea, you convince them that it is a good one.
She tried to sell me the idea of buying my own paper shredder. [VERB noun noun]
She is hoping she can sell the idea to clients. [VERB noun + to]
An employee sold him on the notion that cable was the medium of the future. [VERB noun + on]
You know, I wasn't sold on this trip in the beginning. [VERB-ed]
Synonyms: promote, get across, put across, win approval for More Synonyms of sell
7.
See sell one's body
8.
See sell sb down the river
9.
See sell oneself short
10.
See sell one's soul
11. to sell like hot cakes
Phrasal verbs:
See sell off
See sell on
See sell out
See sell up
sell in British English
(sɛl)
verbWord forms: sells, selling or sold
1.
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
2.
to deal in (objects, property, etc)
he sells used cars for a living
3. (transitive)
to give up or surrender for a price or reward
to sell one's honour
4.
to promote or facilitate the sale of (objects, property, etc)
publicity sells many products
5.
to induce or gain acceptance of
to sell an idea
6. (intransitive)
to be in demand on the market
these dresses sell well in the spring
7. (transitive) informal
to deceive or cheat
8. (transitive; foll byon)
to persuade to accept or approve (of)
to sell a buyer on a purchase
9. sell down the river
10. sell oneself
11. sell short
noun
12.
the act or an instance of selling
Compare hard sell, soft sell
13. informal
a.
a trick, hoax, or deception
b. Irish
a great disappointment
the service in the hotel was a sell
Derived forms
sellable (ˈsellable)
adjective
Word origin
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
sell in American English
(sɛl)
verb transitiveWord forms: sold or ˈselling
1.
to give up, deliver, or exchange (property, goods, services, etc.) for money or its equivalent
2.
a.
to have or offer regularly for sale; deal in
a store that sells hardware, to sell real estate
b.
to make or try to make sales in or to
to sell chain stores
3.
a.
to give up or deliver (a person) to his or her enemies or into slavery, bondage, etc.
b.
to be a traitor to; betray (a country, cause, etc.)
4.
to give up or dispose of (one's honor, one's vote, etc.) for profit or a dishonorable purpose
5.
to bring about, help in, or promote, the sale of
television sells many products
6. US, Informal
a.
to establish faith, confidence, or belief in
to sell oneself to the public
b.
to persuade (someone) of the value of something; convince
with on
sell him on the idea
7. Slang
to cheat or dupe
verb intransitive
8.
to exchange property, goods, or services for money, etc.
9.
to work or act as a salesman or salesclerk
10.
to be sold; attract buyers: often used with reference to the rate of sale
to sell well, poorly, etc.
11.
to be sold (for or at)
belts selling for six dollars
12. Informal
to be accepted, approved, etc.
a scheme that won't sell
noun
13. Slang
a trick or hoax
14. US
selling or salesmanship
see also hard sell, soft sell
Idioms:
sell off
sell oneself
sell out
sell short
sell up
SYNONYMY NOTE: sell implies a transferring of the ownership of something to another for money [to sell books, a house, etc.]; barter implies an exchange of goods or services without using money [to barter food for clothes]; trade, in transitive use, also implies the exchange of articles [let's trade neckties], and, intransitively, implies the carrying on of a business in which one buys andsells a specified commodity [to trade in wheat]; auction implies the public sale of items one by one, each going to the highest of the competingbidders [to auction off unclaimed property]; vend applies especially to the selling of small articles, as by peddling, slot machine,etc. [vending machines]
OPPOSITE: buy
Word origin
ME sellen < OE sellan, to give, offer, akin to Goth saljan, to offer (sacrifice): caus. formation in sense “to cause to take” < IE base *sel-, to take, grasp > sale, Gr helein, to take
More idioms containing
sell
sell someone a bill of goods
sell like hotcakes
sell someone down the river
sell someone short
sell yourself short
sell your soul for something
Examples of 'sell' in a sentence
sell
We could make a third over what we paid for it right now if we sold.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
One of the three completed villas has already sold.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
They will help people to manage their electronic lives rather than just sell them products.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The online store also sells swimming pools.
The Sun (2009)
We buy getting on for a million more cars than we sell.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Better volumes and higher selling prices in particular bode well for the second half of the year.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
His ability to sell a good idea remains undimmed.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
If your arrears are mounting and negotiation has failed you may have to sell your property.
Tondeur, Keith Say Goodbye to Debt (1994)
The group includes all goods sold by retailers that predominantly sell food.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Nor at this stage either does he mention the buying and selling of blood for medical purposes.
The Times Literary Supplement (2012)
But an unscrupulous merchant might still try to sell it.
Christianity Today (2000)
Some fear that they will now struggle to sell the buildings.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Many unfinished new plots have already been sold.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The show sold out just in time.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The consortium will also sell the refined products.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
His dad ran a business selling vintage cars and his mum worked booking models.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The Brazilian remains an enigma and could well be sold this summer.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The selling price of that power will be nearly 20 billion.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
As little white lies go, we have been sold it well.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
That means nearly one in three funds sold were passive, reflecting a growing disappointment with highly paid fund managers.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
In other languages
sell
British English: sell /sɛl/ VERB
If you sell something that you own, you let someone have it in return for money.
The directors sold the business for a large sum.
American English: sell
Arabic: يَبْيعُ
Brazilian Portuguese: vender
Chinese: 出售
Croatian: prodati
Czech: prodat
Danish: sælge
Dutch: verkopen
European Spanish: vender
Finnish: myydä
French: vendre
German: verkaufen
Greek: πουλώ
Italian: vendere
Japanese: 売る
Korean: (물건을) 팔다
Norwegian: selge
Polish: sprzedać
European Portuguese: vender
Romanian: a vinde
Russian: продавать
Latin American Spanish: vender
Swedish: sälja
Thai: ขาย
Turkish: satmak
Ukrainian: продавати
Vietnamese: bán hàng
All related terms of 'sell'
sell in
to sell (new products) to a retail outlet to be sold to the public
sell on
If you buy something and then sell it on , you sell it to someone else soon after buying it, usually in order to make a profit .
sell up
If you sell up , you sell everything you have, such as your house or your business, because you need the money.
up-sell
to attempt to sell a customer ( additional or more expensive goods or services)
hard sell
A hard sell is a method of selling in which the salesperson puts a lot of pressure on someone to make them buy something.
mis-sell
To mis-sell something such as a pension or an insurance policy means to sell it to someone even though you know that it is not suitable for them.
pre-sell
To pre-sell a product to promote it with publicity before it comes on to the market.
sell off
If you sell something off , you sell it because you need the money.
sell out
If a shop sells out of something, it sells all its stocks of it, so that there is no longer any left for people to buy .
soft sell
A soft sell is a method of selling or advertising that involves persuading people in a gentle way rather than putting a lot of pressure on people to buy things.
sell assets
The assets of a company or a person are all the things that they own.
sell short
to disparage or belittle
sell-through
A sell-through video is a film on video that you can buy .
sell oneself
to convince someone else of one's potential or worth
sell a stake
If you have a stake in something such as a business, it matters to you, for example because you own part of it or because its success or failure will affect you.
sell-by date
The sell-by date on a food container is the date by which the food should be sold or eaten before it starts to decay .
sell a product
A product is something that is produced and sold in large quantities , often as a result of a manufacturing process.
agreement to sell
a contract between two parties in which one party agrees to sell something to the other
sell like hotcakes
to be very popular and sell in large numbers very quickly
sell off assets
The assets of a company or a person are all the things that they own.
sell one's body
If someone sells their body , they have sex for money .
sell one's soul
If you talk about someone selling their soul in order to get something, you are criticizing them for abandoning their principles .
sell someone short
to fail to provide someone with all the things that they think you ought to provide
sell someone a pup
to swindle someone by selling him or her something worthless
sell oneself short to sell someone short
If you sell someone short , you do not point out their good qualities as much as you should or do as much for them as you should.
sell down the river
to deceive or betray
sell like hot cakes
to be sold rapidly and in large quantities
past one's sell-by date
If you say that someone or something is past their sell-by date , you mean they are no longer effective , interesting, or useful .
past your sell-by date
no longer useful , successful , or relevant
sell sb down the river
If someone sells you down the river , they betray you for some personal profit or advantage .
to sell like hot cakes
If things are selling like hot cakes , a lot of people are buying them.
sell your soul for something
to do whatever you need to in order to get what you want , even if it involves abandoning your principles or doing something you consider wrong
sell someone a bill of goods
to deceive someone or tell them something that is not true
sell your soul to the devil
If you say that someone has sold their soul to the devil , you mean that you disapprove of them because they have done something that you think is not right in order to get what they want .
dummied
a figure representing the human form, used for displaying clothes, in a ventriloquist's act, as a target , etc
dummy
A dummy is a model of a person, often used to display clothes.
Chinese translation of 'sell'
sell
(sɛl)
Word forms:ptppsold
vt
卖(賣) (mài)
⇒ I sold the house for 80,000 pounds.我的房子卖了8万英镑。 (Wǒ de fángzi màile bā wàn yīngbàng.)
⇒ Do you sell flowers?你们这儿卖花吗？ (Nǐmen zhèr mài huā ma?)
⇒ We sell rubber products.我们经销橡胶制品。 (Wǒmen jīngxiāo xiàngjiāo zhìpǐn.)
(fig)[idea]使接受 (shǐ jiēshòu)
⇒ She is hoping she can sell the idea to clients.她希望能够让客户接受这个想法。 (Tā xīwàng nénggòu ràng kèhù jiēshòu zhège xiǎngfǎ.)
vi
[goods, product]有销(銷)路 (yǒu xiāolù)
⇒ I'm not sure if it will sell.我不能肯定是否有销路。 (Wǒ bùnéng kěndìng shìfǒu yǒu xiāolù.)
to sell at or for 10 pounds售价(價)10英镑(鎊) (shòujià shí yīngbàng)
to sell sb sth, sell sth to sb将(將)某物卖(賣)给(給)某人 (jiāng mǒuwù màigěi mǒurén)
to sell o.s.自我推销(銷) (zìwǒ tuīxiāo)
All related terms of 'sell'
sell up
出售所有财(財)物 chūshòu suǒyǒu cáiwù
sell off
卖(賣)掉 màidiào
sell out
( lit : shop ) 卖(賣)光存货(貨) màiguāng cúnhuò (: book, tickets ) 卖(賣)光 màiguāng ⇒ The tickets have sold out. → 票卖光了。 Piào màiguāng le.
sell-by date
商品必须(須)售出的截止日期 shāngpǐn bìxū shòuchū de jiézhǐ rìqī
to sell o.s.
自我推销(銷) zìwǒ tuīxiāo
to sell out of sth
卖(賣)光某物 màiguāng mǒuwù ⇒ The shop had sold out of ice creams. → 那家商店的冰激凌卖光了。 Nà jiā shāngdiàn de bīngjīlíng màiguāng le.
to buy/sell in bulk
( Comm ) 批量购(購)买(買)/销(銷)售 pīliàng gòumǎi/xiāoshòu
to buy/sell sth cheap
廉价(價)买(買)/卖(賣)某物 liánjià mǎi/mài mǒuwù
to sell sth at a loss
亏(虧)本卖(賣)某物 kuīběn mài mǒuwù
to sell sth for scrap
把某物作为(為)废(廢)品出售 bǎ mǒuwù zuòwéi fèipǐn chūshòu
to sell sb sth, sell sth to sb
将(將)某物卖(賣)给(給)某人 jiāng mǒuwù màigěi mǒurén
to sell at or for 10 pounds
售价(價)10英镑(鎊) shòujià shí yīngbàng
to buy/sell sth under the counter
私下买(買)/卖(賣)某物 sīxià mǎi/mài mǒuwù
to sell (sth) at a profit
出售(某物)而获(獲)利 chūshòu (mǒuwù) ér huòlì
1 (verb)
Definition
to exchange (something) for money
I sold everything I owned except for my car and books.
Synonyms
trade
They had years of experience trading with the west.
dispose of
offer for sale
exchange
We exchanged addresses.
barter
They have been bartering wheat for cotton and timber.
vend
put up for sale
auction off
Opposites
buy
,
purchase
,
get
,
pay for
,
obtain
,
acquire
,
invest in
,
shop for
,
procure
2 (verb)
Definition
to deal in (objects or property)
It sells everything from hair ribbons to oriental rugs.
Synonyms
deal in
market
The drink has been marketed here since 1993.
trade in
carry
stock
The shop stocks everything from chocolate to recycled loo paper.
handle
He was charged with handling stolen electrical goods.
retail
hawk
vendors hawking trinkets
merchandise
He advises shops on how to merchandise their wares.
peddle
dealers peddling drugs
traffic in
vend
offer for sale
be in the business of
Opposites
buy
,
purchase
,
get
,
pay for
,
obtain
,
acquire
,
invest in
,
shop for
,
procure
3 (verb)
Grain sells at ten times usual prices.
Synonyms
be priced at
cost
The course is limited to 12 people and costs £50.
go for
sell at
be
How much is this?
be trading at
retail at
4 (verb)
Definition
to be in demand on the market
The company believes the products will sell well.
Synonyms
be bought
go
It took us an hour to go three miles.
move
She waited for him to get up, but he didn't move.
be purchased
5 (verb)
Definition
to gain acceptance of
She is hoping she can sell the idea to clients.
Synonyms
promote
He has announced a full British tour to promote his new album.
get across
put across
win approval for
persuade someone to accept
bring someone round to
gain acceptance for
get acceptance for
Phrasal verbs
See sell out
See sell out of something
See sell someone out
idiom
See sell someone short
Additional synonyms
in the sense of barter
Definition
to trade goods or services in exchange for other goods or services, rather than for money
They have been bartering wheat for cotton and timber.
Synonyms
trade,
sell,
exchange,
switch,
traffic,
bargain,
swap,
haggle,
drive a hard bargain
in the sense of be
How much is this?
Synonyms
cost,
come to,
sell at,
set (someone) back (informal),
command a price of
in the sense of cost
Definition
to be obtained or obtainable in exchange for
The course is limited to 12 people and costs £50.
Synonyms
sell at,
come to,
set (someone) back (informal),
be priced at,
command a price of
Synonyms of 'sell'
sell
Explore 'sell' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of exchange
Definition
to replace (one thing) with another, esp. to replace unsatisfactory goods
We exchanged addresses.
Synonyms
interchange,
change,
trade,
switch,
swap,
truck,
barter,
reciprocate,
bandy,
give to each other,
give to one another
in the sense of go
Definition
to move or proceed to or from a place
It took us an hour to go three miles.
Synonyms
move,
travel,
advance,
journey,
proceed,
pass,
fare (archaic),
set off
in the sense of handle
Definition
to trade or deal in (specified merchandise)
He was charged with handling stolen electrical goods.
Synonyms
deal in,
market,
sell,
trade in,
carry,
stock,
traffic in
in the sense of hawk
Definition
to offer (goods) for sale in the street or door-to-door
vendors hawking trinkets
Synonyms
peddle,
market,
sell,
push,
traffic,
tout (informal),
vend
in the sense of market
Definition
to offer or produce for sale
The drink has been marketed here since 1993.
Synonyms
sell,
promote,
retail,
peddle,
vend,
offer for sale
in the sense of merchandise
Definition
to engage in the commercial purchase and sale of goods or services
He advises shops on how to merchandise their wares.
Synonyms
trade,
market,
sell,
retail,
distribute,
deal in,
buy and sell,
traffic in,
vend,
do business in
in the sense of move
Definition
to go or take from one place to another
She waited for him to get up, but he didn't move.
Synonyms
go,
walk,
march,
advance,
progress,
shift,
proceed,
stir,
budge,
make a move,
change position
in the sense of peddle
Definition
to sell (goods) from place to place
dealers peddling drugs
Synonyms
sell,
trade,
push (informal),
market,
hawk,
flog (slang),
vend,
huckster,
sell door to door
in the sense of stock
Definition
to keep (goods) for sale
The shop stocks everything from chocolate to recycled loo paper.
Synonyms
sell,
supply,
handle,
keep,
trade in,
deal in,
carry
All related terms of 'sell'
sell out
be bought up, be sold out, be gone, be exhausted, be depleted
sell someone out
double-cross, fail, give away, stab in the back, rat on
sell someone short
swindle, cheat, fleece, defraud, overcharge
sell out of something
run out of, be fresh out of, be cleaned out of, be out of stock of