gerund or present participle
Giving something to someone in exchange for money.
She is selling her old books online.
They are selling tickets for the show.
American English
How to pronounce selling
verbA2Very common word
SEHlihng
/ˈsɛ.lɪŋ/
2 syllables · Stress the first syllable.
Form of sell
Selling commonly appears after forms of be to describe an action in progress, and it can also name the activity of selling.
Giving something to someone in exchange for money.
Practice out loudMeanings & examples
gerund or present participle
Trying to persuade someone to buy something by showing why it is useful or attractive.
The salesperson is selling customers a more expensive model.
They are selling this service as a simple solution.
gerund or present participle
Trying to persuade someone to accept an idea or plan.
She is selling me on the idea of moving downtown.
He is selling the team on his plan.
gerund or present participle
Being bought by people, especially quickly or in large numbers.
This book is selling well this summer.
The new phones are selling quickly.
Useful expressions
to have no more of a product because all of it has been bought
The concert sold out in ten minutes.
to sell something, often cheaply, because you want to get rid of it
The store is selling off its winter clothes.
to describe yourself as less capable or valuable than you really are
Don't sell yourself short—you can do this job.
Related words & forms
The past form is sold, not selled. The -ing form is selling, with two l's.