verb
sell
sehl
verb
1
To hand over goods or services to someone in exchange for money.
"She sold her old car for two thousand pounds."
"The shop sells everything from bread to batteries."
2
To promote or present an idea so that people accept it.
"He tried to sell the board on his new marketing plan."
"You need to sell the idea before anyone will fund it."
3
To betray someone, especially for money or personal gain.
"His old partner sold him out to save himself."
noun
1
An act of selling something, or a disappointing trick played on someone.
"The whole deal turned out to be a sell."
How to Use Sell
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo exchange something you own for money, or more loosely, to get someone to accept an idea.
Common mistake
Don't confuse the verb "sell" with "sale" (the noun for the event or transaction itself).
Easily confused with
Common pairings
sell a house
sell an idea
sell out
hard sell
Word Forms
sold past tense, sells plural, sells plural, sells plural, Sells plural, sells singular
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The shop _____ everything from bread to batteries.
Etymology
From Old English sellan, meaning "to give" or "to hand over for money" — the same Germanic root shows up in Swedish sälja and Danish sælge.