bestseller

IPA/ˌbestˈselə(r)/
KK[bˈɛstsˈɛlɚ]IPA/ˌbestˈselər/

bestseller — noun

  • bestsellersingular
  • bestsellersplural

1. a book or other product that many people buy over a fairly short period, so its

1.nounB2
Definition

a book or other product that many people buy over a fairly short period, so its sales figures rise above most others of the same kind.

Example

Farouk's first novel became a bestseller within two weeks of its release.

become a bestseller + time period

A small bakery in Tainan turned its mango cake into a summer bestseller.

turn [product] into a bestseller (collocation)

Common collocations
  • international bestseller
  • surprise bestseller
  • number-one bestseller
  • instant bestseller
  • runaway bestseller
Synonyms
  • hit

    informal; often used for songs, films, or shows as well as products

  • blockbuster

    very large commercial success, especially films or novels with mass appeal

  • smash

    informal; sudden, huge success, often paired as 'smash hit'

  • chart-topper

    specifically reaches the top of a published sales chart, usually music or books

Antonyms
  • flop

    informal; a product that fails commercially

  • dud

    informal; something disappointing, including a poor seller

Grammar Patterns

a bestseller

become a bestseller

the year's bestseller

Usage Note

Often modified by superlatives or rank words (biggest bestseller, number-one bestseller, surprise bestseller). Typical subject of the verbs become and turn into rather than make. Frequently followed by 'in [country/market]' or 'among [group of buyers]'.

Common Mistakes

Her novel was a best-sale last month.
Her novel was a bestseller last month.
the noun is bestseller (one word, sometimes hyphenated as best-seller); 'best-sale' is not English.
The book sold a bestseller.
The book became a bestseller.
bestseller names the product itself, not an action of selling.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe something that sells or performs unusually well, but the centre of gravity is different. 'Bestseller' is the most neutral and is anchored to sales figures, especially for books, but also records, gadgets, or food items. 'Hit' is informal and broader: a hit song, a hit show, a hit toy — popularity matters more than the actual sales count. 'Blockbuster' suggests enormous, mass-market success with heavy marketing, and is most at home with films or thick novels aimed at a wide audience. 'Chart-topper' is narrower again, naming things that literally reach number one on a published ranking, typically music or book charts. So you might say a quiet literary novel is an unexpected bestseller, the latest superhero film is a summer blockbuster, and a catchy single is this week's chart-topper.

bestseller ↗hit ↗blockbuster ↗chart-topper ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • bestseller list
  • bestseller status
  • bestseller chart

Phrases

  • become a bestseller
  • top the bestseller list
  • make the bestseller list
  • an instant bestseller
  • a runaway bestseller

Prepositions

  • bestseller in [country/market]
  • bestseller among [group of buyers]
  • bestseller on [platform]

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish (American, late 1800s)Modern English

Formed in late 19th-century American English by joining the superlative 'best' with the agent noun 'seller'. It started in the publishing trade as a label for the books moving fastest off shop shelves, and was soon picked up by newspapers running weekly book-sales rankings. From there the meaning widened to cover any product, especially records and household goods, whose sales clearly out-pace those of its competitors.