Sell Short

B2 16+
Pronunciation Definitions Examples Grammatical Forms Origin and Evolution

Pronunciation: /sɛl ʃɔrt/

Definitions of sell short

verb to sell something that one does not own, with the expectation of buying it back at a lower price in the future

Example Sentences

A1 I sell short my old clothes at the garage sale.

A2 She likes to sell short her handmade jewelry at local markets.

B1 The company decided to sell short their excess inventory to make room for new products.

B2 Investors often sell short stocks they believe will decrease in value.

C1 He was accused of trying to sell short the company's assets for personal gain.

C2 The CEO was found guilty of selling short company stocks to manipulate the market.

Examples of sell short in a Sentence

formal Investors may choose to sell short in order to profit from a stock's decline in value.

informal I heard that some traders sell short when they think a stock is going to go down.

slang I'm gonna sell short on that company, I have a feeling their stock is gonna tank.

figurative Sometimes in life, we have to sell short on our expectations in order to avoid disappointment.

Grammatical Forms of sell short

past tense

sold short

plural

sell shorts

comparative

more short-selling

superlative

most short-selling

present tense

sells short

future tense

will sell short

perfect tense

has sold short

continuous tense

is selling short

singular

sells short

positive degree

short-selling

infinitive

to sell short

gerund

selling short

participle

selling short

Origin and Evolution of sell short

First Known Use: 1601 year
Language of Origin: English
Story behind the word: The origin of the phrase 'sell short' can be traced back to the stock market practices in the early 1600s.
Evolution of the word: Originally, 'sell short' referred to selling borrowed securities in the hopes of buying them back at a lower price to profit from the difference. Over time, the term has come to be used more broadly to describe any situation where someone sells an asset they do not currently own, with the intention of buying it back at a lower price.