sell oneself


Convince another of one's merits, present oneself in a favorable light, as in A job interview is an ideal opportunity to sell oneself to a prospective employer. Originally this idiom, dating from the second half of the 1700s, alluded to selling one's services for money, but it was being used more loosely by the mid-1800s.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

How to use sell oneself in a sentence

  • In an age that was all about “sell, sell, sell,” it is no wonder that it had become increasingly acceptable to sell oneself.

    Still Looking for Mr. Right | Francesca Beauman | February 12, 2010 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • The temptation to sell oneself under such circumstances would have been too much for common Parliamentary virtue.

    The Earl of Beaconsfield | James Anthony Froude