selling

UK: /ˈselɪŋ/ US: (sel′ing)

From the verb sell: (⇒ conjugate)

selling is: ⓘ

v pres p

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2023

sell•ing  (sel′ing), adj. 

1. of or pertaining to a sale or sales:
   the selling price of oranges.
2. engaged in selling:
   two selling offices in New York.
3. readily salable;
   in strong demand (often used in combination):
   This is our fastest-selling model.

• sell¹ + -ing² 1765–75

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2023

sell¹ /sɛl/   v., sold/soʊld/  sell•ing, n. 
v. 

1. to transfer (goods or property) (to someone);
   to do or perform (services) in exchange for money (for someone): [~ + object]
   He sold his car.
   [~ + object + to + object]
   She sold her car to her sister.
   [~ + object + object]
   sold her sister her old car.
   [no object]
   He said he wasn't selling; he just wanted to talk to us.
2. to deal in;
   keep or offer for sale:
   [~ + object] to sell insurance.
3. to promote or cause the sale of:
   [~ + object] Packaging sells many products.
4. to obtain, total, or achieve sales of:
   [~ + object] The record sold a million copies.
5. to be offered for sale at the price indicated:
   [~ + at/for + object] This little model sells for $200.
6. to be in demand by buyers:
   [no object] On a rainy day, umbrellas really sell.
7. to (cause to) be accepted, esp. generally: [~ + object + to + object]
   to sell an idea to the public.
   [no object]
   Now there's an idea that will really sell!
8. to cause or persuade to see the value of: [~ + object]
   He did a good job of selling himself.
   [~ + object + on + object]
   to sell the voters on a candidate.
9. to surrender (something, or oneself) improperly for profit or advantage:
   [~ + object] to sell one's soul for power.
10. sell off, to rid oneself of by selling, esp. at reduced prices: [~ + off + object]
    to sell off last year's designs.
    [~ + object + off]
    to sell old furniture off before moving.
11. sell out:
    • to sell everything completely: [be + sold out]
      The store is all sold out of beanbag chairs.
      [no object]
      The store sold out before we even got there!
    • to betray or be disloyal to (one's friend, a cause, etc.): [~ + out + object]
      He sold out his principles to get elected.
      [~ + object + out]
      He sold them out just for his own gain.
      [no object]
      He has sold out and will go along with whatever his boss wants.

n. [countable]

12. an act or method of selling:
    a hard sell, or doing anything to get a sale.
13. Informal Terms a cheat;
    hoax.

Idioms

14. to sell (someone) down the river, [~ + object + down the river] to betray:
    wound up selling his pals down the river for a shorter sentence.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2023

sell¹  (sel), v., sold, sell•ing, n. 
v.t. 

1. to transfer (goods) to or render (services) for another in exchange for money;
   dispose of to a purchaser for a price:
   He sold the car to me for $1000.
2. to deal in;
   keep or offer for sale:
   He sells insurance. This store sells my favorite brand.
3. to make a sale or offer for sale to:
   He'll sell me the car for $1000.
4. to persuade or induce (someone) to buy something:
   The salesman sold me on a more expensive model than I wanted.
5. to persuade or induce someone to buy (something):
   The clerk really sold the shoes to me by flattery.
6. to make sales of:
   The hot record sold a million copies this month.
7. to cause to be accepted, esp. generally or widely:
   to sell an idea to the public.
8. to cause or persuade to accept;
   convince:
   to sell the voters on a candidate.
9. to accept a price for or make a profit of (something not a proper object for such action):
   to sell one's soul for political power.
10. to force or exact a price for:
    The defenders of the fort sold their lives dearly.
11. Informal Terms to cheat, betray, or hoax.

v.i. 

12. to engage in selling something.
13. to be on sale.
14. to offer something for sale:
    I like this house
    —will they sell?
15. to be employed to persuade or induce others to buy, as a salesperson or a clerk in a store:
    One sister is a cashier and the other sells.
16. to have a specific price;
    be offered for sale at the price indicated (fol. by at or for):
    Eggs used to sell at sixty cents a dozen. This shirt sells for thirty dollars.
17. to be in demand by buyers:
    On a rainy day, umbrellas really sell.
18. to win acceptance, approval, or adoption:
    Here's an idea that'll sell.
19. sell off, to sell, esp. at reduced prices, in order to get rid of:
    The city is selling off a large number of small lots at public auction.
20. sell out:
    • to dispose of entirely by selling.
    • to betray (an associate, one's country, a cause, etc.);
      turn traitor:
      He committed suicide rather than sell out to the enemy.
21. sell short. See short (def. 33).
22. sell (someone) a bill of goods. See bill of goods (def. 3).
23. British Terms sell up, to sell out:
    She was forced to sell up her entire stock of crystal.

n. 

24. an act or method of selling.
25. Business [Stock Exchange.] a security to be sold.
26. Informal Terms a cheat;
    hoax.

• bef. 900; Middle English sellen (verb, verbal), Old English sellan origin, originally, to give, hence, give up (someone) to an enemy, betray, exchange for money; cognate with Old Norse selja, Low German sellen, Gothic saljan to give up, sell, origin, originally, to cause to take; akin to Greek heleîn to take

sell′a•ble, adj. 
Synonyms

• 1. exchange, vend. See trade. 

Antonyms

• 1. buy.

sell²  (sel), n., adj., pron. [Scot.]

1. Scottish Terms self.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

sell /sɛl/ vb (sells, selling, sold)

1. to dispose of or transfer or be disposed of or transferred to a purchaser in exchange for money or other consideration; put or be on sale
2. to deal in (objects, property, etc): he sells used cars for a living
3. (transitive) to give up or surrender for a price or reward: to sell one's honour
4. to promote or facilitate the sale of (objects, property, etc): publicity sells many products
5. to induce or gain acceptance of: to sell an idea
6. (intransitive) to be in demand on the market: these dresses sell well in the spring
7. (transitive) informal to deceive or cheat
8. sell down the river ⇒ informal to betray
9. sell oneself ⇒ to convince someone else of one's potential or worth
10. to give up one's moral or spiritual standards, etc
11. sell short ⇒ informal to disparage or belittle
12. to sell securities or goods without owning them in anticipation of buying them before delivery at a lower price

n

1. the act or an instance of selling
2. informal a trick, hoax, or deception

See also sell in, sell off, sell out, sell upEtymology: Old English sellan to lend, deliver; related to Old Norse selja to sell, Gothic saljan to offer sacrifice, Old High German sellen to sell, Latin cōnsilium advice

ˈsellable adj