sell

/sel/ noun [C, usually singular] MARKETING

Definition

› an act of selling or trying to sell a product or service: a difficult/hard/tough sell In spite of continuing drought conditions, artificial grass remains a hard sell. Fear of unemployment make mortgage protection an easy sell. → Compare sale

› an act of trying to persuade someone that something is a good idea: a hard/difficult/tough sell Tax breaks for developers to build more-expensive housing would be a tough sell.

› [C] (also sell rating) FINANCE, STOCK MARKET advice to sell shares in a particular company from a broker: The broker SG Securities is moving its rating to a sell. While Merrill has a neutral recommendation, we believe the shares are a sell.

→ See also hard sell, soft sell

(Definition of sell noun from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)