sell
♦♦♦ sell /s'el/ (sells selling sold)
1 [VERB] V n, V n to n, V n for n, V
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...
His heir sold the painting to the London art dealer Agnews...
The directors sold the business for £14.8 million...
It's not a very good time to sell at the moment.
2 [VERB] V n, V n
If a shop sells a particular thing, it is available for people to buy there.
It sells everything from hair ribbons to oriental rugs...
Bean sprouts are also sold in cans.
3 [VERB] V for/at n
If something sells for a particular price, that price is paid for it.
Unmodernised property can sell for up to 40 per cent of its modernised market value.
4 [VERB] V, V adv
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...
The company believes the products will sell well in the run-up to Christmas.
5 [VERB] V n, V
Something that sells a product makes people want to buy the product.
It is only the sensational that sells news magazines.
...car manufacturers' long-held maxim that safety doesn't sell.
6 [VERB] V n n, V n to n, V n on n, V-ed
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...
She is hoping she can sell the idea to clients...
An employee sold him on the notion that cable was the medium of the future...
You know, I wasn't sold on this trip in the beginning.
7 [PHRASE] V and N inflect
If someone sells their body, they have sex for money.
85 per cent said they would rather not sell their bodies for a living.
8 [PHRASE] V inflects
If someone sells you down the river, they betray you for some personal profit or advantage.
He has been sold down the river by the people who were supposed to protect him.
9 [PHRASE] V inflects
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.
They need to improve their image-they are selling themselves short...
10 [PHRASE] V and N inflect
If you talk about someone selling their soul in order to get something, you are criticizing them for abandoning their principles.
...a man who would sell his soul for political viability.hard sell
[N-SING] oft N n
A hard sell is a method of selling in which the salesperson puts a lot of pressure on someone to make them buy something.
...a double-glazing firm whose hard-sell techniques were exposed by a consumer programme.sell off
[PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), V n P
If you sell something off, you sell it because you need the money.
The company is selling off some sites and concentrating on cutting debts...
We had to sell things off to pay the brewery bill.
see also sell-offsell on
[PHRASAL VERB] V n P, V n P to n
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.
Mr Farrier bought cars at auctions and sold them on...
The arms had been sold to a businessman; he sold them on to paramilitary groups.sell out
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V P of n, V P
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.
Hardware stores have sold out of water pumps and tarpaulins...
The next day the bookshops sold out.
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V P
If a performance, sports event, or other entertainment sells out, all the tickets for it are sold.
Football games often sell out well in advance.
3 [PHRASAL VERB] V P
When things sell out, all of them that are available are sold.
Tickets for the show sold out in 70 minutes.
4 [PHRASAL VERB] V P, V P to n
If you accuse someone of selling out, you disapprove of the fact that they do something which used to be against their principles, or give in to an opposing group.
The young in particular see him as a man who will not sell out or be debased by the compromises of politics...
Many of his Greenwich Village associates thought Dylan had sold out to commercialism.
5 [PHRASAL VERB] V P
Sell out means the same as sell up. (AM)
I hear she's going to sell out and move to the city.
6
see also sell-out, sold outsell up
[PHRASAL VERB] V P, V P n (not pron)
If you sell up, you sell everything you have, such as your house or your business, because you need the money. (BRIT; in AM, use sell out)
...all these farmers going out of business and having to sell up...
He advised Evans to sell up his flat and move away to the country.soft sell
also soft-sell
[N-SING]
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. (BUSINESS)
I think more customers probably prefer a soft sell.
≠ hard sell
1 [VERB] V n, V n to n, V n for n, V
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...
His heir sold the painting to the London art dealer Agnews...
The directors sold the business for £14.8 million...
It's not a very good time to sell at the moment.
2 [VERB] V n, V n
If a shop sells a particular thing, it is available for people to buy there.
It sells everything from hair ribbons to oriental rugs...
Bean sprouts are also sold in cans.
3 [VERB] V for/at n
If something sells for a particular price, that price is paid for it.
Unmodernised property can sell for up to 40 per cent of its modernised market value.
4 [VERB] V, V adv
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...
The company believes the products will sell well in the run-up to Christmas.
5 [VERB] V n, V
Something that sells a product makes people want to buy the product.
It is only the sensational that sells news magazines.
...car manufacturers' long-held maxim that safety doesn't sell.
6 [VERB] V n n, V n to n, V n on n, V-ed
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...
She is hoping she can sell the idea to clients...
An employee sold him on the notion that cable was the medium of the future...
You know, I wasn't sold on this trip in the beginning.
7 [PHRASE] V and N inflect
If someone sells their body, they have sex for money.
85 per cent said they would rather not sell their bodies for a living.
8 [PHRASE] V inflects
If someone sells you down the river, they betray you for some personal profit or advantage.
He has been sold down the river by the people who were supposed to protect him.
9 [PHRASE] V inflects
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.
They need to improve their image-they are selling themselves short...
10 [PHRASE] V and N inflect
If you talk about someone selling their soul in order to get something, you are criticizing them for abandoning their principles.
...a man who would sell his soul for political viability.hard sell
[N-SING] oft N n
A hard sell is a method of selling in which the salesperson puts a lot of pressure on someone to make them buy something.
...a double-glazing firm whose hard-sell techniques were exposed by a consumer programme.sell off
[PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), V n P
If you sell something off, you sell it because you need the money.
The company is selling off some sites and concentrating on cutting debts...
We had to sell things off to pay the brewery bill.
see also sell-offsell on
[PHRASAL VERB] V n P, V n P to n
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.
Mr Farrier bought cars at auctions and sold them on...
The arms had been sold to a businessman; he sold them on to paramilitary groups.sell out
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V P of n, V P
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.
Hardware stores have sold out of water pumps and tarpaulins...
The next day the bookshops sold out.
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V P
If a performance, sports event, or other entertainment sells out, all the tickets for it are sold.
Football games often sell out well in advance.
3 [PHRASAL VERB] V P
When things sell out, all of them that are available are sold.
Tickets for the show sold out in 70 minutes.
4 [PHRASAL VERB] V P, V P to n
If you accuse someone of selling out, you disapprove of the fact that they do something which used to be against their principles, or give in to an opposing group.
The young in particular see him as a man who will not sell out or be debased by the compromises of politics...
Many of his Greenwich Village associates thought Dylan had sold out to commercialism.
5 [PHRASAL VERB] V P
Sell out means the same as sell up. (AM)
I hear she's going to sell out and move to the city.
6
see also sell-out, sold outsell up
[PHRASAL VERB] V P, V P n (not pron)
If you sell up, you sell everything you have, such as your house or your business, because you need the money. (BRIT; in AM, use sell out)
...all these farmers going out of business and having to sell up...
He advised Evans to sell up his flat and move away to the country.soft sell
also soft-sell
[N-SING]
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. (BUSINESS)
I think more customers probably prefer a soft sell.
≠ hard sell