sell n : the activity of persuading someone to buy; "it was a hard sell"

1 exchange or deliver for money or its equivalent; "He sold his house in January"; "She sells her body to survive and support her drug habit" [ant: buy]

2 be sold at a certain price or in a certain way; "These books sell like hot cakes"

3 do business; offer for sale as for one's livelihood; "She deals in gold"; "The brothers sell shoes" [syn: deal, trade]

4 persuade somebody to accept something; "The French try to sell us their image as great lovers"

5 give up for a price or reward; "She sold her principles for a successful career"

6 deliver to an enemy by treachery; "Judas sold Jesus"; "The spy betrayed his country" [syn: betray]

7 be approved of or gain acceptance; "The new idea sold well in certain circles"

8 be responsible for the sale of; "All her publicity sold the products" [also: sold]

English

Pronunciation

• /sɛl/

  Rhymes with: -ɛl

Homophones

• cell

Etymology 1

sellan ‘give’, later ‘give up for money’, from *saljanan.

Antonyms

• buy

Verb

1. To agree to transfer goods or provide services in exchange for money.
2. (professional wrestling slang) In professional wrestling, to pretend that an opponent's blows or maneuvers are causing legitimate injury; to act.
3. To promote a particular viewpoint; to manipulate towards a desired end.

   I don't know what she was selling when she pretended she liked him.

Translations

Noun

1. An easy task.
   • 1922: What a sell for Lena! - Katherine Mansfield, The Doll's House (Selected Stories, Oxford World's Classics paperback 2002, 354)

Etymology 2

From selle, from sella.

Spellings

• selle (obsolete)

Noun

1. A seat or stool.
2. A saddle.

Breton

Noun

1. look

Scots

Etymology

sellan.

Pronunciation

• /sɛl/

Verb

1. To sell.

Sell can mean: to sell

• A verb relating to sales
• Sell (professional wrestling)

abalienate, advertise, alien, alienate, amortize, argue into, assign, assure, ballyhoo, bark, barter, be convincing, be in, be sold, bequeath, betray, bill, boost, brim, bring, bring home to, bring in, bring over, bring round, bring to reason, brink, build up, bulletin, bunker, captivate, carry, carry conviction, cater, cede, charm, cheat, circularize, clear the trade, close out, coal, command, con, confer, consign, convert, convert into cash, convey, convict, convince, convinced, cross, cry up, cut under, deal in, deceit, deception, deed, deed over, deliver, demise, devolve upon, dispose of, double-cross, draw, draw over, drive home to, dump, edge, effect a sale, enfeoff, establish, exchange, fake, feed, fetch, fill up, flimflam, flog, forage, fringe, fuel, furnish, gain, gain over, gas, gas up, give, give a write-up, give away, give publicity, give title to, gross, hand, hand down, hand on, hand over, handle, hawk, hem, hoax, hook, hook in, inform against, inspire belief, job, lead to believe, liquidate, make a sale, make over, market, merchandise, move, negotiate, net, offer, oil, outtalk, pass, pass on, pass over, peddle, perimeter, periphery, persuade, persuaded, placard, plug, post, post bills, post up, press-agent, prevail on, prevail upon, prevail with, promote, provender, provision, publicize, puff, purvey, push, put across, put over, put-on, realize, resell, retail, return, sacrifice, satisfy, sell for, sell off, sell on consignment, sell one on, sell out, sell over, sell retail, sell short, sell up, sell wholesale, selvage, settle, settle on, sham, shop, sign away, sign over, skirt, spiel, spoof, stock, supply, surrender, sway, talk into, talk over, tattle on, tell on, terminate the account, top off, trade, trade in, traffic, traffic in, transfer, transmit, turn into money, turn over, undercut, undersell, unload, vend, verge, victual, wangle, wangle into, wear down, wholesale, win, win over, write up, yield