SELL (sold)

Pronunciation (US):

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does sell mean? 

• SELL (noun)
  The noun SELL has 1 sense:

1. the activity of persuading someone to buy

  Familiarity information: SELL used as a noun is very rare.

• SELL (verb)
  The verb SELL has 8 senses:

1. exchange or deliver for money or its equivalent

2. be sold at a certain price or in a certain way

3. persuade somebody to accept something

4. do business; offer for sale as for one's livelihood

5. give up for a price or reward

6. be approved of or gain acceptance

7. be responsible for the sale of

8. deliver to an enemy by treachery

  Familiarity information: SELL used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SELL (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The activity of persuading someone to buy

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Context example:

it was a hard sell

Hypernyms ("sell" is a kind of...):

sale (the general activity of selling)

Derivation:

sell (exchange or deliver for money or its equivalent)

sell (do business; offer for sale as for one's livelihood)

sell (be sold at a certain price or in a certain way)

sell (be responsible for the sale of)

• SELL (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Exchange or deliver for money or its equivalent

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Context example:

She sells her body to survive and support her drug habit

Hypernyms (to "sell" is one way to...):

change; exchange; interchange (give to, and receive from, one another)

"Sell" entails doing...:

give (transfer possession of something concrete or abstract to somebody)

Verb group:

sell (be sold at a certain price or in a certain way)

Domain category:

commerce; commercialism; mercantilism (transactions (sales and purchases) having the objective of supplying commodities (goods and services))

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "sell"):

negociate (sell or discount)

prostitute (sell one's body; exchange sex for money)

move (dispose of by selling)

dispose (give, sell, or transfer to another)

undercut; undersell (sell cheaper than one's competition)

dump; underprice (sell at artificially low prices)

sacrifice (sell at a loss)

wholesale (sell in large quantities)

retail (sell on the retail market)

auction; auction off; auctioneer (sell at an auction)

realise; realize (convert into cash; of goods and property)

sell off (get rid of by selling, usually at reduced prices)

clear (sell)

scalp (sell illegally, as on the black market)

bootleg (sell illicit products such as drugs or alcohol)

sell short (sell securities or commodities or foreign currency that is not actually owned by the seller, who hopes to cover (buy back) the sold items at a lower price and thus to earn a profit)

remainder (sell cheaply as remainders)

resell (sell (something) again after having bought it)

syndicate (sell articles, television programs, or photos to several publications or independent broadcasting stations)

deaccession (sell (art works) from a collection, especially in order to raise money for the purchase of other art works)

fob off; foist off; palm off (sell as genuine, sell with the intention to deceive)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody something
Somebody ----s something to somebody

Sentence examples:

They sell the food to the people
They sell the people the food

Antonym:

buy (obtain by purchase; acquire by means of a financial transaction)

Derivation:

sell (the activity of persuading someone to buy)

seller (someone who promotes or exchanges goods or services for money)

selling (the exchange of goods for an agreed sum of money)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Be sold at a certain price or in a certain way

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Context example:

These books sell like hot cakes

Hypernyms (to "sell" is one way to...):

be (have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun))

Verb group:

sell (exchange or deliver for money or its equivalent)

deal; sell; trade (do business; offer for sale as for one's livelihood)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "sell"):

retail (be sold at the retail level)

trade (be traded at a certain price or under certain conditions)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Something is ----ing PP

Sentence example:

These cars won't sell

Derivation:

sell (the activity of persuading someone to buy)

selling (the exchange of goods for an agreed sum of money)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Persuade somebody to accept something

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Context example:

The French try to sell us their image as great lovers

Hypernyms (to "sell" is one way to...):

persuade (cause somebody to adopt a certain position, belief, or course of action; twist somebody's arm)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody something
Somebody ----s something to somebody

Sentence example:

They won't sell the story

Sense 4

Meaning:

Do business; offer for sale as for one's livelihood

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

deal; sell; trade

Context example:

The brothers sell shoes

Hypernyms (to "sell" is one way to...):

transact (conduct business)

Verb group:

deal (sell)

sell (be sold at a certain price or in a certain way)

Domain category:

commerce; commercialism; mercantilism (transactions (sales and purchases) having the objective of supplying commodities (goods and services))

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "sell"):

push (sell or promote the sale of (illegal goods such as drugs))

deal (sell)

black marketeer (deal on the black market)

pyramid (use or deal in (as of stock or commercial transaction) in a pyramid deal)

market (deal in a market)

hawk; huckster; monger; peddle; pitch; vend (sell or offer for sale from place to place)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

sell (the activity of persuading someone to buy)

seller (someone who promotes or exchanges goods or services for money)

selling (the exchange of goods for an agreed sum of money)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Give up for a price or reward

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Context example:

She sold her principles for a successful career

Hypernyms (to "sell" is one way to...):

cede; deliver; give up; surrender (relinquish possession or control over)

Verb group:

betray; sell (deliver to an enemy by treachery)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody something
Somebody ----s something to somebody

Sense 6

Meaning:

Be approved of or gain acceptance

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Context example:

The new idea sold well in certain circles

Hypernyms (to "sell" is one way to...):

be (have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun))

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sense 7

Meaning:

Be responsible for the sale of

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Context example:

All her publicity sold the products

Hypernyms (to "sell" is one way to...):

be (have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun))

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Derivation:

sell (the activity of persuading someone to buy)

Sense 8

Meaning:

Deliver to an enemy by treachery

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

betray; sell

Context example:

The spy betrayed his country

Hypernyms (to "sell" is one way to...):

cozen; deceive; delude; lead on (be false to; be dishonest with)

Verb group:

sell (give up for a price or reward)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "sell"):

double cross (betray by double-dealing)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sentence example:

Sam cannot sell Sue

 Context examples 

"I think they are beautiful, very beautiful," she said; "but you can't sell them, can you? You see what I mean," she said, almost pleaded.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Grey Beaver refused to sell the dog.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

The product will be sold with a black strip on the box indicating that its use will require medical prescription and an Informed Consent Form.

(Brazil grants registration for first cannabis-based drug, Agência Brasil)

“If you please, sir,” I said, “I am to sell this for a fair price.”

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

"It's a fine old place, and will bring a handsome sum, for of course you intend to sell it," said Laurie, as they were all talking the matter over some weeks later.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Your Majesty must pay. It must be bought. She will not sell. Stolen, then.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The worthless ones were to be got rid of, and, since dogs count for little against dollars, they were to be sold.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

They are sold as tablets, capsules, powders, teas, extracts, and fresh or dried plants.

(Herbal Medicine, NIH: National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine)

With all my heart; I will buy Pemberley itself if Darcy will sell it.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

When these horse-keeping farmers need cash, they track down their horses in the forest and sell them.

(Belly up to the bamboo buffet: Pandas vs. horses, NSF)