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.
Before the hard sell comes a pause. Jack Lang, New York Times, 28 May 2026 Real estate agents whipped out their phones to put a hard sell on anything east of I-95. Pat Beall, Sun Sentinel, 8 May 2026 The hard sell of battery projects can also strengthen pushback. Bloomberg, Oc Register, 23 Apr. 2026 Paris doesn’t need a hard sell, but most visitors waste precious time bouncing between neighborhoods without a plan. Lauren Schuster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Apr. 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hard sell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hard%20sell. Accessed 1 Jun. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster