SELL SHORT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does sell short mean? 

• SELL SHORT (verb)
  The verb SELL SHORT has 2 senses:

1. sell securities or commodities or foreign currency that is not actually owned by the seller, who hopes to cover (buy back) the sold items at a lower price and thus to earn a profit

2. underestimate the real value or ability of

  Familiarity information: SELL SHORT used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SELL SHORT (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Sell securities or commodities or foreign currency that is not actually owned by the seller, who hopes to cover (buy back) the sold items at a lower price and thus to earn a profit

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "sell short" is one way to...):

sell (exchange or deliver for money or its equivalent)

Domain category:

commerce; commercialism; mercantilism (transactions (sales and purchases) having the objective of supplying commodities (goods and services))

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something

Sense 2

Meaning:

Underestimate the real value or ability of

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Context example:

Don't sell your students short--they are just shy and don't show off their knowledge

Hypernyms (to "sell short" is one way to...):

underestimate; underrate (make too low an estimate of)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody