sold out
sold out — idiom
1. used to describe an event such as a concert, play, or sports match for which eve
used to describe an event such as a concert, play, or sports match for which every available ticket has been bought by the public, so that no more tickets remain for anyone to purchase.
Yumi tried to buy tickets for the concert, but it was already sold out.
sold out — no 'of' needed for events
The final match of the tournament was sold out three months before the game.
By the time Sven reached the ticket counter, every show that evening was completely sold out.
The theatre posted a notice online saying the Saturday performance was sold out.
- available
Describes tickets that are still on sale.
文法句型
[event] is/was sold out
用法筆記
This idiomatic expression describes the situation itself (all tickets gone). Unlike the adjective 'sold-out', this form cannot be placed before a noun — you cannot say 'a sold-out concert' using the idiom; that requires the adjective entry below.
常見錯誤
2. used to say that a shop, website, or other seller has completely run out of a pa
used to say that a shop, website, or other seller has completely run out of a particular product because all of the available items have already been bought by customers.
The bakery was sold out of fresh bread by ten o'clock every morning.
sold out of [product] — required 'of' pattern for goods
Ravindra tried to buy the new phone, but the store was sold out of that model.
The children's bookstore was sold out of the popular picture book within a week of its release.
Naoko called three pharmacies, but each one was sold out of the medicine she needed.
- out of stock
More formal; commonly used in retail and e-commerce contexts.
- run out of
A verb phrase rather than a state; describes the process of depletion, not just the result.
文法句型
[shop/seller] is/was sold out of [product]
用法筆記
When talking about stock rather than events, the preposition 'of' is required before naming the product. Compare: 'the concert was sold out' (no 'of') vs. 'the shop was sold out of milk' ('of' required).
常見錯誤
sold out — adjective
1. describing a concert, show, match, or performance for which every ticket has bee
describing a concert, show, match, or performance for which every ticket has been bought, so that no more tickets can be obtained by anyone wishing to attend.
The sold-out concert at the stadium had fans cheering from the very first song.
attributive use: sold-out concert (with hyphen)
Joaquín could not get a seat because the cinema was sold out for the evening showing.
The theatre announced that its Saturday night performance was completely sold out.
Adisa managed to buy two tickets for a sold-out basketball game from a colleague who could not attend.
- full
Less specific — 'full' can mean many people attended, not necessarily that all tickets were sold in advance.
- booked solid
Informal; often used for hotels and restaurants rather than live events.
- available
Describes events with tickets still on sale.
文法句型
[event] is sold out
a sold-out [event]
用法筆記
This adjective can appear both before a noun (attributive, with a hyphen: 'a sold-out show') and after a linking verb (predicative, no hyphen: 'the show is sold out'). Use the idiomatic entry above when you want to describe the situation as a fixed expression rather than modifying a noun.
常見錯誤
2. describing a store, website, or supplier that has no remaining stock of a specif
describing a store, website, or supplier that has no remaining stock of a specific item because every unit of that item has already been purchased by customers.
The electronics store was sold out of laptops after the back-to-school sale.
sold out of [product category] — predicative
Nellie spotted a sold-out sign on the shelf where the coffee beans were normally kept.
Pim asked the shop assistant whether they were sold out of winter coats in his size.
Chiara waited too long to order the dress, and the website was already sold out of it.
- out of stock
More formal; commonly seen on e-commerce websites and retail signs.
- depleted
Formal; less common in everyday conversation.
- in stock
Describes products that the seller still has available.
- well-stocked
Describes a shop that has plenty of a product available.
文法句型
[shop/seller] is sold out of [product]
a sold-out [product] — rare and non-idiomatic
用法筆記
This adjective is used predictively — after a linking verb like 'be' or 'become'. It is rarely used attributively before a noun; a phrase like 'a sold-out product' sounds unnatural. Use the product-focused idiom entry (STOCK DEPLETED) when you want a more natural fixed-expression pattern.