Sell
verb
To give something to someone in exchange for money.
She sells ice cream on the beach during summer.

Often appears as...
- sell something
- sell for a certain price
verb
To make someone believe or accept something.
He could sell sand in a desert, he's such a persuasive salesman.

Often appears as...
- sell someone something
- sell a concept/idea
Usage tips
Idiomatic
verb
To drain or sacrifice for profit or advantage.
He sold his integrity for a promotion.

Often appears as...
- sell one's soul
- sell out
Usage tips
Disapproving
verb
To promote or talk up.
The manager sells his team's abilities to the media.

Often appears as...
- sell oneself/one's talents
- sell a project/concept
verb
To make illegal transactions, particularly drugs.
He was caught selling on the streets.

Often appears as...
- sell drugs
- sell on the streets
Usage tips
Informal, Disapproving
Colloquial
verb
To give something to someone in exchange for money.
She sells ice cream on the beach during summer.

Often appears as...
- sell something
- sell for a certain price
verb
To make someone believe or accept something.
He could sell sand in a desert, he's such a persuasive salesman.

Often appears as...
- sell someone something
- sell a concept/idea
Usage tips
Idiomatic
verb
To drain or sacrifice for profit or advantage.
He sold his integrity for a promotion.

Often appears as...
- sell one's soul
- sell out
Usage tips
Disapproving
verb
To promote or talk up.
The manager sells his team's abilities to the media.

Often appears as...
- sell oneself/one's talents
- sell a project/concept
verb
To make illegal transactions, particularly drugs.
He was caught selling on the streets.

Often appears as...
- sell drugs
- sell on the streets
Usage tips
Informal, Disapproving
Colloquial
Definition 1 of 5

Transactional Nature
Understand that 'sell' involves a buyer giving money in return for goods or services.

He sells vintage comics at the market.
Expressing Quantity
'Sell' can imply the amount of something sold, often used with words like 'out' or 'well'.

Her lemonade stand sells out quickly.
Fixed Expressions
Learn set phrases with 'sell', like 'sell like hotcakes', meaning something sells very fast.

Her new book is selling like hotcakes.
Transactional Nature
Understand that 'sell' involves a buyer giving money in return for goods or services.

He sells vintage comics at the market.
Expressing Quantity
'Sell' can imply the amount of something sold, often used with words like 'out' or 'well'.

Her lemonade stand sells out quickly.
Fixed Expressions
Learn set phrases with 'sell', like 'sell like hotcakes', meaning something sells very fast.

Her new book is selling like hotcakes.
Transactional Nature
Understand that 'sell' involves a buyer giving money in return for goods or services.

He sells vintage comics at the market.
Expressing Quantity
'Sell' can imply the amount of something sold, often used with words like 'out' or 'well'.

Her lemonade stand sells out quickly.
Fixed Expressions
Learn set phrases with 'sell', like 'sell like hotcakes', meaning something sells very fast.

Her new book is selling like hotcakes.
Video examples
Pamela Ronald: The case...
almost all farmers, whether they're organic or conventional, they buy seed produced by seed companies. So there's definitely a commercial interest to sell a lot of seed, but hopefully they're selling seed that the farmers want to buy. It's different in the less developed world. Farmers there cannot afford the seed. These seeds are not being sold.
Video examples
The paradox of value -...
what matters far more is their use value, how helpful they are in your current situation. And because we only get to choose one of the options, we also have to consider its opportunity cost, or what we lose by giving up the other choice. After all, it doesn't matter how much you could get from selling the diamond
Video examples
Why should you read...
and looks back through time for hints of these hidden histories. She wrote, "When one reads of a witch being ducked, of a woman possessed by devils, of a wise woman selling herbs, or even a very remarkable man who had a mother, then I think we're on the track of a lost novelist,
Video examples
Why do airlines sell too...
Has a hotel turned down your reservation because it's full? Or have you been bumped off a flight that you paid for? These are all symptoms of overbooking, a practice where businesses and institutions sell or book more than their full capacity.
Video examples
Why Elephants May Go...
elephants each year to poaching they're still stores around the world they're selling ivory trinkets we are looking at the extinction of a species simply because we have the sense that it is a wonderful gift to give or the social
Video examples
The Atlantic slave...
By selling them, kings enriched their own realms, and strengthened them against neighboring enemies. African kingdoms prospered from the slave trade, but meeting the European's massive demand created intense competition.
Video examples
The life cycle of a...
Consider the classic white t-shirt. Annually, we sell and buy two billion t-shirts globally, making it one of the most common garments in the world. But how and where is the average t-shirt made,
Video examples
Catching up with...
going on you managed to write a book that sold incredibly well the boy who harnessed the wind that's taking you really around the world people wanting to hear what you've learned what what
Video examples
What does this symbol...
Some of the world's most recognizable symbols exist to sell products, others to steer traffic or advance political causes. But there's one whose main purpose is to help people.
Video examples
Planet Earth: A...
to raise our spirits during the pandemic we brought together composer han zimmer and jacob shea and top selling artist dave to create a visual and musical feast
Video examples
Pamela Ronald: The case...
almost all farmers, whether they're organic or conventional, they buy seed produced by seed companies. So there's definitely a commercial interest to sell a lot of seed, but hopefully they're selling seed that the farmers want to buy. It's different in the less developed world. Farmers there cannot afford the seed. These seeds are not being sold.
Video examples
The paradox of value -...
what matters far more is their use value, how helpful they are in your current situation. And because we only get to choose one of the options, we also have to consider its opportunity cost, or what we lose by giving up the other choice. After all, it doesn't matter how much you could get from selling the diamond
Video examples
Why should you read...
and looks back through time for hints of these hidden histories. She wrote, "When one reads of a witch being ducked, of a woman possessed by devils, of a wise woman selling herbs, or even a very remarkable man who had a mother, then I think we're on the track of a lost novelist,
Video examples
Why do airlines sell too...
Has a hotel turned down your reservation because it's full? Or have you been bumped off a flight that you paid for? These are all symptoms of overbooking, a practice where businesses and institutions sell or book more than their full capacity.
Video examples
Why Elephants May Go...
elephants each year to poaching they're still stores around the world they're selling ivory trinkets we are looking at the extinction of a species simply because we have the sense that it is a wonderful gift to give or the social
Video examples
The Atlantic slave...
By selling them, kings enriched their own realms, and strengthened them against neighboring enemies. African kingdoms prospered from the slave trade, but meeting the European's massive demand created intense competition.
Video examples
The life cycle of a...
Consider the classic white t-shirt. Annually, we sell and buy two billion t-shirts globally, making it one of the most common garments in the world. But how and where is the average t-shirt made,
Video examples
Catching up with...
going on you managed to write a book that sold incredibly well the boy who harnessed the wind that's taking you really around the world people wanting to hear what you've learned what what
Video examples
What does this symbol...
Some of the world's most recognizable symbols exist to sell products, others to steer traffic or advance political causes. But there's one whose main purpose is to help people.
Video examples
Planet Earth: A...
to raise our spirits during the pandemic we brought together composer han zimmer and jacob shea and top selling artist dave to create a visual and musical feast
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Zig Ziglar
American Author
When you are truly interested in other people, you will learn what they are interested in and if they have a need for your product. If they like you, and most people like folks who take an interest in them, they'll help you find people who do need what you have to sell, even if they don't.

Quote examples
Snoop Dogg
American Rapper
I want to write, direct, produce, but in steps. I want to take steps. I don't want to just jump in because I sold a lot of records and just feel like I can jump into the movie world. Naw, I want to learn the movie world like I learned the music world.

Quote examples
Robert Frost
American Poet
Take care to sell your horse before he dies. The art of life is passing losses on.

Quote examples
Rick Perry
American Politician
Let's make what Americans buy. Buy what Americans make. And sell it to the world.

Quote examples
Christopher Priest
American Writer
I didn't want to write a 'black' book because black characters are a tough sell.

Quote examples
Pete Hamill
American Journalist
You've got to have something in your life you don't sell to others.

Quote examples
Billy Mays
American Businessman
It's important for me to sell a product that works.

Quote examples
The Notorious B.I.G.
American Musician
My real life helped me sell a lot of records.

Quote examples
Patrick Swayze
American Actor
Everything is designed to help you sell out.

Quote examples
Melissa Auf der Maur
Canadian Musician
I sold my life to Capitol Records; it sucks.

Quote examples
Zig Ziglar
American Author
When you are truly interested in other people, you will learn what they are interested in and if they have a need for your product. If they like you, and most people like folks who take an interest in them, they'll help you find people who do need what you have to sell, even if they don't.

Quote examples
Snoop Dogg
American Rapper
I want to write, direct, produce, but in steps. I want to take steps. I don't want to just jump in because I sold a lot of records and just feel like I can jump into the movie world. Naw, I want to learn the movie world like I learned the music world.

Quote examples
Robert Frost
American Poet
Take care to sell your horse before he dies. The art of life is passing losses on.

Quote examples
Rick Perry
American Politician
Let's make what Americans buy. Buy what Americans make. And sell it to the world.

Quote examples
Christopher Priest
American Writer
I didn't want to write a 'black' book because black characters are a tough sell.

Quote examples
Pete Hamill
American Journalist
You've got to have something in your life you don't sell to others.

Quote examples
Billy Mays
American Businessman
It's important for me to sell a product that works.

Quote examples
The Notorious B.I.G.
American Musician
My real life helped me sell a lot of records.

Quote examples
Patrick Swayze
American Actor
Everything is designed to help you sell out.

Quote examples
Melissa Auf der Maur
Canadian Musician
I sold my life to Capitol Records; it sucks.

Example 1 of 10
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