sell
/sel/ (bre, ipa) · /sel/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈsel/ (ame, mw)
sell — verb
1. to let someone take an item, product, or service that you own and receive money
to let someone take an item, product, or service that you own and receive money from them in return
Selim sold his old motorcycle to a neighbour for NT$15,000.
sell + object + to + someone + for + price
The bakery on Green Street sells fresh bread every morning before nine.
present tense for routine business description
Amira sold her aunt a beautiful hand-woven scarf at the market.
The Watanabe family sold their restaurant to a young chef from Osaka.
Our team sold over eight hundred tickets before the concert weekend.
文法句型
sell + object
sell + indirect object + direct object
sell + object + to + someone
sell + for/at + price
用法筆記
Ditransitive structure (sell someone something) is common: My friend sold me his camera. In passive voice, both objects can become subjects: He was sold a fake watch.
常見錯誤
2. to be purchased by people — describes the rate, price, or speed at which custome
to be purchased by people — describes the rate, price, or speed at which customers buy something
Joaquín's new cookbook is selling very well across Taiwan.
intransitive: sell + adverb describing market performance
These handmade wool scarves sell for around NT$800 each.
sell + for + price
The limited edition trainers sold out within three hours online.
Fresh local vegetables sell quickly at the morning market each day.
Kemi's pottery sells at a higher price in city galleries than in village shops.
文法句型
sell + adverb (well/quickly/badly)
sell + for/at + price
sell + in + quantities
用法筆記
Commonly used with adverbs of degree (sell well / sell badly) and price phrases (sell for / sell at). The subject is the item being bought, not the seller.
常見錯誤
3. to create enough interest in a product or service that people choose to buy it,
to create enough interest in a product or service that people choose to buy it, often through presentation, advertising, or reputation
A celebrity endorsement can really help sell a new perfume brand quickly.
abstract subject (endorsement) + sell + product
The elegant packaging sells the chocolate before customers even taste it.
inanimate subject (packaging) + sell + object
Positive online reviews sell far more books than any poster advertisement can.
Cole's friendly and patient manner helped sell three cars that afternoon.
文法句型
sell + product
subject (advertising/packaging/reputation) + sell + object
用法筆記
Often used with an inanimate subject that explains WHY a product sells: The location sells the house. The taste sells the drink. Not used with a direct human buyer as indirect object (unlike sense 1).
4. to persuade a person or group to accept an idea, proposal, or plan as good or wo
to persuade a person or group to accept an idea, proposal, or plan as good or worth supporting
Eitan tried to sell the board of directors on his plan to expand into Southeast Asia.
sell + someone + on + proposal
Min knows how to sell an investment idea to a room full of cautious bankers.
sell + abstract object + to + audience
The manager sold the new overtime policy to staff by focusing on the extra pay.
Asher could not sell his proposal to the committee despite hours of preparation.
- deter
to discourage someone from accepting an idea or plan
文法句型
sell + someone + on + something
sell + object + to + someone
用法筆記
Object is typically an abstract noun: idea, vision, proposal, policy, plan. The preposition 'on' introduces the topic (sell someone on something); 'to' introduces the audience (sell something to someone).
常見錯誤
5. to betray a person, group, or principle in exchange for money, power, or another
to betray a person, group, or principle in exchange for money, power, or another personal advantage
The army officer was caught selling classified documents to a foreign intelligence agency.
sell + secrets/documents + to + foreign power
Saira refused to sell her principles for a quick promotion in the company.
sell + abstract noun (principles/values) + for + reward
Voters accused the senator of selling out working families to big corporations.
Indra felt that signing the unfair contract would sell his professional values.
Historians say the fortress commander sold his city to the enemy for a bag of gold.
- betray
stronger and more direct; to be disloyal to someone who trusts you
- rat out
informal; to tell the authorities about someone's wrongdoing
- double-cross
to deceive someone who believes they are working with you
文法句型
sell + someone/something + for + reward
sell + principles/values/loyalty
用法筆記
Strongly negative connotation. Often used with reflexive or possessive constructions: sell yourself, sell your soul, sell your country. Avoid confusing with sense 1 — the object here is a trust relationship, not a product.
常見錯誤
sell — noun
1. used to describe how easy or difficult it is to persuade someone to buy somethin
used to describe how easy or difficult it is to persuade someone to buy something or accept an idea — most common in the fixed phrases a hard sell, an easy sell, and a tough sell
The proposal to raise parking fees was a hard sell for the town council.
a hard sell (something difficult to persuade others about)
Shirin's homemade cakes are an easy sell at the weekly farmers' market.
an easy sell (something that people accept or buy readily)
The sales team gave the new software the hard sell at the tech conference.
Convincing investors to fund a small organic farm was a tough sell for Tuan.
- easy sell
collocation that can replace a phrase with easy sell
- tough sell
synonymous with hard sell, equally common
- persuasion
the general concept, not limited to fixed phrases
文法句型
a hard sell
an easy sell
a tough sell
a quick sell
give something the hard sell
用法筆記
The noun sell is almost always singular and appears in fixed phrases: a hard sell (difficult), an easy sell (easy), and a tough sell (very difficult). Unlike the verb sell, this noun does not refer to the act of selling itself — use sale for that meaning. Give something the hard sell means to promote it very aggressively.