English noun: sell | |||
1. | sell (act) the activity of persuading someone to buy | ||
Samples | It was a hard sell. | ||
Broader (hypernym) | sale | ||
English verb: sell | |||
1. | sell (possession) exchange or deliver for money or its equivalent | ||
Samples | He sold his house in January. She sells her body to survive and support her drug habit. | ||
Examples | They sell the food to the people, They sell the people the food | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Somebody ----s somebody something. Somebody ----s something to somebody | ||
Broader (hypernym) | change, exchange, interchange | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | auction, auction off, auctioneer, bootleg, clear, deaccession, dispose, dump, fob off, foist off, move, negociate, palm off, prostitute, realise, realize, remainder, resell, retail, sacrifice, scalp, sell off, sell short, syndicate, undercut, underprice, undersell, wholesale | ||
Entail | give | ||
Verb group | sell | ||
Domain category | commerce, commercialism, mercantilism | ||
Antonyms | buy, purchase | ||
2. | sell (stative) be sold at a certain price or in a certain way | ||
Samples | These books sell like hot cakes. | ||
Examples | These cars won't sell | ||
Pattern of use | Something ----s. Something is ----ing PP | ||
Broader (hypernym) | be | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | retail, trade | ||
Verb group | deal, sell, sell, trade | ||
3. | sell (communication) persuade somebody to accept something | ||
Samples | The French try to sell us their image as great lovers. | ||
Examples | They won't sell the story | ||
Pattern of use | Something ----s something. Somebody ----s somebody something. Somebody ----s something to somebody | ||
Broader (hypernym) | persuade | ||
4. | sell (possession) do business; offer for sale as for one's livelihood | ||
Samples | She deals in gold. The brothers sell shoes. | ||
Synonyms | deal, trade | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Somebody ----s PP | ||
Broader (hypernym) | transact | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | black marketeer, deal, hawk, huckster, market, monger, peddle, pitch, push, pyramid, vend | ||
Verb group | deal, sell | ||
Domain category | commerce, commercialism, mercantilism | ||
5. | sell (possession) give up for a price or reward | ||
Samples | She sold her principles for a successful career. | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Somebody ----s somebody something. Somebody ----s something to somebody | ||
Broader (hypernym) | cede, deliver, give up, surrender | ||
Verb group | betray, sell | ||
6. | sell (stative) be approved of or gain acceptance | ||
Samples | The new idea sold well in certain circles. | ||
Pattern of use | Something ----s | ||
Broader (hypernym) | be | ||
7. | sell (stative) be responsible for the sale of | ||
Samples | All her publicity sold the products. | ||
Pattern of use | Something ----s something | ||
Broader (hypernym) | be | ||
8. | sell (social) deliver to an enemy by treachery | ||
Samples | Judas sold Jesus. The spy betrayed his country. | ||
Examples | Sam cannot sell Sue | ||
Synonyms | betray | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Somebody ----s somebody | ||
Broader (hypernym) | cozen, deceive, delude, lead on | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | double cross | ||
Verb group | sell | ||