Skip to main content
to sell

to sell

1.0
To give something to someone for money
  • verb
  • /sɛl/
translation icon : vender
  • And when your goal is to sell CPUs, that's important.
  • buy and sell
  • sell products
  • sell at the market

I would say I've never sold a business yet.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • Muslim peasants came into town daily to sell their fruit and left in the evening.

    Academic text (2011)
  • The farmer decided to sell his fresh vegetables at the local market.

  • See if you can sell them a car.

  • I want to sell this.

  • Let's say I want to sell you coffee.

  • When they had football, he used to sell programs at the stadium.

  • Buyers love the people who sell through at full price.

  • And they started making face Shields to sell to hospitals.

  • They then buy the goods online and sell old pieces online too.

  • Well, we do sell a wide variety of men's cosmetics...

Synonyms

to deal
vsto sell
  • NSFW
324 3.0

To buy and sell goods, sometimes illegally

is focused on exchanging items for money rather than all trading activities
to trade
vsto sell
291 2.3

To buy and sell goods or services as a business

is the single act of giving an item to someone for money
to move
vsto sell
250 6.3

Sell goods, often to clear old stock

is the regular act of giving items to customers for money
to bring
vsto sell
241 3.4

To sell for a certain amount of money

is about giving items in exchange for money rather than the exact price
to bring in
vsto sell
123 2.8

Earn money from a thing or activity

is the exchange of an item for money, not mainly about income generated
to peddle
vsto sell
46 3.9

To sell goods by going from place to place or to people's houses

is used without the traveling or door to door emphasis
to turn over
vsto sell
  • Specialized
24 3.4

Sell goods or services worth a total amount in a period

is the single act of transferring an item for money, not about total sales
to fetch
vsto sell
23 5.3

To sell for a particular price

is about transferring ownership for money rather than focusing on the achieved price
to vend
vsto sell
1 5.6

Sell goods in public places, often from a stall or cart

gives items to someone in exchange for money in any setting
to trade hands
vsto sell
1 4.3

To move from one owner to another when people buy or sell it

is the transfer of an item for money rather than any general ownership change

Antonyms

1.0

To get something by paying money

Idioms

12 8.8

To betray someone to get something for yourself

2 9.0

To trick someone by making something false seem valuable

To buy something when its price is low and sell it later to make money

1 3.3

To be bought quickly by many people

1 7.2

Many people buy it very quickly

To offer something unbelievable to trick someone, often as a joke

8.3

Act badly to get money, power, or success

To betray or use close family to get something for yourself

Give up valuable family items to solve money problems

To give up something very important for little or no value

To give up something very important for a small, quick gain

Phrasal Verbs

109 5.9

Betray someone by telling their secrets to others for personal gain

65 2.8

To sell all the tickets or goods so nothing is left

57 3.5

To quickly get rid of things by offering them at low prices

to sell out
  • Informal
55 6.8

To give up your beliefs for money or personal gain

to sell oneself
  • Informal
10 6.8

To show your skills and good points to get opportunities

to sell short
  • Specialized
3 8.1

To sell stocks you do not own hoping to buy them back at a lower price

1 5.5

Get money for all your things, often to move away or close a business

To think a person or thing cannot do as much as they really can

to sell dearly
  • Informal
8.3

To suffer serious harm or loss because of something you did

To find buyers for part of your shares or investments so you own less

To have sex with someone for money

Compounds

hard sell
  • Informal
15 5.3

A strong, pushy effort to make someone buy something

4 3.2

Date on food that shows the last day shops should keep it on shelves so it is still fresh

1 3.9

A gentle way to encourage people to buy something

How Successful

to sell out
65 2.8
to sell
1.0

Surface Forms

sell infinitive
selling present participle
sells third person singular
sold past
sold past participle

Etymology

Sell originally meant to 'give' something to someone, and you can still see the same root in sale and seller. So to sell something today is to give it to a buyer in exchange for money.