sell

/sɛl/
to exchange goods or services for money

She sells handmade jewelry at the local market.

This shows the act of exchanging handmade jewelry for money.


general

to exchange goods or services for money

The store sells organic produce.

This indicates the store exchanges organic produce for money.

Commonly used in everyday contexts.

general

to persuade someone to buy or accept something

The salesperson tried to sell me a new phone.

The salesperson attempted to persuade me to buy a new phone.

Often used in marketing and sales contexts.

informal

to betray or give away information or secrets

He sold out his friends for a promotion.

He betrayed his friends to get a promotion.

Used in informal contexts to describe betrayal.

Collocations

sell outto betray or give away informationsell offto sell something quickly, often at a discountsell forto exchange something for a specific price

Related Phrases

sell like hotcakesidiom
to sell very quickly and in large quantities
sell someone a bill of goodsidiom
to deceive someone by making false promises

Pro Tip

Common Usage

'Sell' is often used with direct objects like 'products', 'services', or 'ideas'.

Gold Rule

Transitive Use

'Sell' typically requires a direct object (e.g., 'sell a book').

Word Origin

From Middle English 'sellen', from Old English 'sellan', meaning 'to give, hand over, deliver'.

Usage Notes

The verb 'sell' can be transitive or intransitive. It is commonly used in business, commerce, and everyday transactions.

Word Breakdown

sell
to exchange for money
root
English Dictionary