hard sell

noun

: aggressive high-pressure salesmanship compare soft sell

Examples of hard sell in a Sentence

Such an expensive project will be a hard sell during these slow economic times.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Wine trends also have favored boozy and bracing styles, a hard sell for folks used to sipping hard seltzers at the club. — ABC News, 22 June 2026 Kemsley says the conversations have not been a hard sell. — Lily Moayeri, Rolling Stone, 15 June 2026 If recent trends are an indication, securing another one this time could be a hard sell. — Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 12 May 2026 Compared with protein, which lends itself to narratives of growth—more grams, more gains—fibre is a bit of a hard sell, likelier to be espoused by women in sensible shoes than by fitness junkies on Twitch. — Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for hard sell

Word History

First Known Use

1945, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hard sell was in 1945

Rhymes for hard sell

See All Rhymes for hard sell

Browse Nearby Words

hard seed
hard sell
hard-set
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hard sell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hard%20sell. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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