Dictionary entry details
• SELL (noun)
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)
• SELL (verb)
Meaning:
Exchange or deliver for money or its equivalent
Classified under:
Verbs of buying, selling, owning
Context examples:
He sold his house in January / 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)
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"):
clear (sell)
retail (sell on the retail market)
wholesale (sell in large quantities)
trust (extend credit to)
sacrifice (sell at a loss)
dump; underprice (sell at artificially low prices)
undercut; undersell (sell cheaper than one's competition)
dispose (give, sell, or transfer to another)
move (dispose of by selling)
prostitute (sell one's body; exchange sex for money)
auction; auction off; auctioneer (sell at an auction)
realise; realize (convert into cash; of goods and property)
fob off; foist off; palm off (sell as genuine, sell with the intention to deceive)
negociate (sell or discount)
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)
sell off (get rid of by selling, usually at reduced prices)
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)
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))
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
Meaning:
Do business; offer for sale as for one's livelihood
Classified under:
Verbs of buying, selling, owning
Synonyms:
sell; trade; deal
Context examples:
She deals in gold / The brothers sell shoes
Hypernyms (to "sell" is one way to...):
transact (conduct business)
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"):
hawk; huckster; monger; peddle; pitch; vend (sell or offer for sale from place to place)
market (deal in a market)
pyramid (use or deal in (as of stock or commercial transaction) in a pyramid deal)
black marketeer (deal on the black market)
deal (sell)
push (sell or promote the sale of (illegal goods such as drugs))
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s PP
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
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)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody something
Somebody ----s something to somebody
Meaning:
Deliver to an enemy by treachery
Classified under:
Verbs of political and social activities and events
Synonyms:
betray; sell
Context examples:
Judas sold Jesus / The spy betrayed his country
Hypernyms (to "sell" is one way to...):
cozen; deceive; delude; lead on (be false to; be dishonest with)
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
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
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
