# sell

/ˈsɛɫ/ (US) · /sˈɛl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/sell
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. to exchange for money

verb · CEFR A1

to give something to someone who gives you money for it.

For teachers: to transfer ownership of goods or provide services in exchange for money. Transitive or ditransitive.

- They decided to sell their old car before moving to the city.
- The company plans to sell its remaining shares to a private equity firm by the end of the fiscal year.

### 2. to be bought

verb · CEFR A2

to be bought by people in large numbers.

For teachers: to be purchased or to find a market; often used to describe the popularity or rate of a product's sale.

- His new book is selling very well in shops across the country.
- Despite the high price point, the limited edition sneakers sold out within minutes of their online release.

### 3. to persuade

verb · CEFR B2

to persuade someone that an idea or plan is good.

For teachers: to promote or persuade someone to accept a particular viewpoint, idea, or plan.

- She tried to sell the idea of a four-day work week to her boss.
- The marketing director struggled to sell the board on the radical rebranding strategy, citing concerns over existing customer loyalty.

### 4. to betray

verb · CEFR C1 · Literary

to hurt someone who trusts you for your own gain.

For teachers: to betray a person, country, or cause for money or personal advantage.

- The spy was caught trying to sell secrets to the enemy.
- History remembers him as the man who sold his country for a title and a small estate in the north.

### 5. to fail your team

verb · CEFR C1 · Slang

to make a big mistake that causes your team to lose.

For teachers: to perform poorly or make a critical error that results in a loss for one's own team.

- I can't believe he missed that shot; he's totally selling.
- The goalkeeper was accused of selling after he let a slow ball roll between his legs in the final minute.

### 6. the act of persuading

noun · CEFR B2

the way someone tries to persuade you to buy or accept something.

For teachers: the act or method of promoting an idea or product; often qualified by 'hard' or 'soft'.

- The salesman used a hard sell to get us to sign the contract.
- Convincing the residents to accept the new highway was a difficult sell for the local government.

### 7. a trick or hoax

noun · CEFR C2 · British English · Informal · Archaic

a trick or something that is not as good as you expected.

For teachers: an imposition, cheat, or disappointment; something that is a hoax.

- We went all that way to see the show, but it was a complete sell.
- The promised grand opening turned out to be a bit of a sell, as half the exhibits were still under construction.

## Examples

- The new software was an easy sell to the team.
- Convincing the board to increase the marketing budget was a tough sell, but the data eventually won them over.
- While the technical merits of the project were clear, the high initial cost made it a difficult sell for the risk-averse investors.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.