Dictionary entries for 'sell'

Synonyms

sell (sĕl)

[Middle English sellen, from Old English sellan, to give, sell.]

verb: sold (sōld), sell·ing, sells.

To exchange or deliver for money or its equivalent.
To offer for sale, as for one's business or livelihood: The partners sell textiles.
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.
1. To bring about or encourage sales of; promote: Good publicity sold the product.
2. 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.
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 sells well.
To be approved of; gain acceptance.

The activity or method of selling.
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.

sell off: To get rid of by selling, often at reduced prices.
sell out: To put all of one's goods or possessions up for sale.; Slang To betray one's cause or colleagues: He sold out to the other side.

sell a bill of goods: To take unfair advantage of.
sell down the river: To betray the true trust or faith of.
sell short: To contract for the sale of securities or commodities one expects to own at a later date and at more advantageous terms. To underestimate the true value or worth of: Don't sell your colleague short; she's a smart lawyer.