What does "sell" mean?
An act of selling; sale.
Sell
/sɛl/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An act of selling; sale.
- Grammar: sell is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: retail, vend, abalienate, advertise.
- Useful contrasts: buys, homestead, purchases.
- Usage evidence: I will sell the boat in accordance with your orders.
How to use "sell"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "sell" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "sell" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "sell" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "sell" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "sell" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "retail" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "sell", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An act of selling; sale.
"Now the easiest sell in traveldom is made even easier."
- 2 A seat or stool. obsolete
"The tyrant proud frown’d from his loftie cell, [...]."
- 3 A rope (usually for tying up cattle, but can also mean any sort of rope). obsolete, regional
"He picked up the sell from the straw-strewn barn-floor, snelly sneaked up behind her and sleekly slung it around her swire while scryingː "dee, dee ye fooking quhoreǃ"."
- 4 the activity of persuading someone to buy wordnet
- 5 The promotion of an idea for acceptance. broadly, figuratively
"This is going to be a tough sell."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 A saddle. archaic
"turning to that place, in which whyleare / He left his loftie steed with golden sell, / And goodly gorgeous barbes, him found not theare [...]."
- 7 An easy task.
- 8 An imposition, a cheat; a hoax; a disappointment; anything occasioning a loss of pride or dignity. colloquial, dated
""Of course a miracle may happen, and you may be a great painter, but you must confess the chances are a million to one against it. It'll be an awful sell if at the end you have to acknowledge you've made a hash of it.""
Verb
- 1 To transfer goods or provide services in exchange for money. ditransitive, intransitive, transitive
"She sold her old car very quickly."
- 2 persuade somebody to accept something wordnet
- 3 To be sold. ergative
"This old stock will never sell."
- 4 give up for a price or reward wordnet
- 5 To promote (a product or service) although not being paid in any direct way or at all. transitive
"Howard: You're gonna feel terrible when I'm in a wheelchair. Which, by the way, would fit easily in the back of this award-winning minivan. Bernadette: Fine, we'll go to the E.R. Just stop selling me on the van. Howard: You're right. It sells itself."
Show 11 more definitions
- 6 exchange or deliver for money or its equivalent wordnet
- 7 To promote (a particular viewpoint). transitive
"My boss is very old-fashioned and I'm having a lot of trouble selling the idea of working at home occasionally."
- 8 do business; offer for sale as for one's livelihood wordnet
- 9 To betray for money or other things. transitive
- 10 deliver to an enemy by treachery wordnet
- 11 To trick, cheat, or manipulate someone. slang, transitive
"Then weaues Other crosse-plots New tricks for safety, are sought; They thriue: When, bold, Each tempt's th'other againe, and all are sold."
- 12 be sold at a certain price or in a certain way wordnet
- 13 To pretend that an opponent's blows or maneuvers are causing legitimate injury; to act. slang, transitive
- 14 be responsible for the sale of wordnet
- 15 To throw under the bus; to let down one's own team in an endeavour, especially in a sport or a game. Australia, intransitive, slang
"He's selling!"
- 16 be approved of or gain acceptance wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Antonyms
Example
"I will sell the boat in accordance with your orders."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "sell"?
Common synonyms include: retail, vend, abalienate, advertise, alien, alienate.
How do you use "sell" in a sentence?
I will sell the boat in accordance with your orders.
How do you pronounce "sell"?
Pronounced /sɛl/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English sellen, from Old English sellan (“give; give up for money”), from Proto-West Germanic *salljan, from Proto-Germanic *saljaną, from Proto-Indo-European *selh₁-. Cognates Cognate with Scots sell (“to sell”), Danish sælge (“to sell”), Faroese, Icelandic selja (“to sell”), Norwegian Bokmål selge (“to sell”), Norwegian Nynorsk selja, selje (“to sell”), Swedish sälja (“to sell”), Gothic 𐍃𐌰𐌻𐌾𐌰𐌽 (saljan, “to pay tribute, make an offer”).
Etymology 2
From French selle, from Latin sella.
Etymology 3
From Old Saxon seill or Old Norse seil. Cognate with Dutch zeel (“rope”), German Seil (“rope”).