sell
1 of 4verb
ˈsel 
sold ˈsōld ; selling
; selling transitive verb
1
: to deliver or give up in violation of duty, trust, or loyalty and especially for personal gain : betray —often used with out
sell out their country
2
a(1)
: to give up (property) to another for something of value (such as money)
(2)
: to offer for sale
b
: to give up in return for something else especially foolishly or dishonorably
sold his birthright for a mess of pottage
c
: to exact a price for
sold their lives dearly
3
a
: to deliver into slavery for money
b
: to give into the power of another
sold his soul to the devil
c
: to deliver the personal services of for money
4
: to dispose of or manage for profit instead of in accordance with conscience, justice, or duty
sold their votes
5
a
: to develop a belief in the truth, value, or desirability of : gain acceptance for
trying to sell a program to the Congress
b
: to persuade or influence to a course of action or to the acceptance of something
sell children on reading
6
: to impose on : cheat
7
a
: to cause or promote the sale of
using television advertising to sell cereal
b
: to make or attempt to make sales to
c
: to influence or induce to make a purchase
8
: to achieve a sale of
sold a million copies
intransitive verb
1
: to dispose of something by sale
thinks now is a good time to sell
2
: to achieve a sale
also : to achieve satisfactory sales
hoped that the new line would sell
3
: to have a specified price
sellable
ˈse-lə-bəl
adjective sell
2 of 4noun (1)
1
: a deliberate deception : hoax
2
: the act or an instance of selling
3
: something to be sold or caused to be accepted
the new mystery novel was an easy sell
also : someone to whom something is sold
the new purchasing agent was a tough sell
sell
3 of 4noun (2)
ˈsel
variants or selle
archaic
: saddle
sell
4 of 4chiefly Scottish variant of self
Synonyms
Verb
- deal (in)
- market
- merchandise
- merchandize
- put up
- retail
- vend
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb He buys and remodels houses and then sells them at a profit. Stock prices are increasing, so now is a good time to sell. Only a few stores sell that type of equipment.
Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English, from Old English sellan; akin to Old High German sellen to sell, Greek helein to take
Noun (2)
Middle English selle, from Anglo-French sele, from Latin sella — more at settle
First Known Use
Verb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Noun (1)
1838, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun (2)
15th century, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing sell
Kids Definition
sell
verb
ˈsel
sold
ˈsōld
; selling 1
: to exchange in return for money or something else of value
He sold his bike to my brother.
2
: to make available for sale
The store sells shoes.
3
: to be sold or priced
The new product is selling well.
These sell for a dollar apiece.
Legal Definition
sell
verb
sold; selling
transitive verb
1
: to transfer ownership of by sale compare barter, convey, give
2
: to offer for sale
intransitive verb
: to dispose of something by sale : make a sale compare donate
sell short
phrase
as in underestimate
to place too low a value on I think you're selling yourself short; you're much better at this than you think you are. Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- underestimate
- undervalue
- underrate
- minimize
- play down
- disdain
- disparage
- belittle
- de-emphasize
- soft-pedal
- despise
- decry
- depreciate
- scorn
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- value
- appreciate
- treasure
- respect
- cherish
- prize
- overestimate
- regard
- admire
- worship
- overrate
- reverence
- esteem
- overvalue
- adore
- revere
- idolize
- venerate