Sold is the past tense of the verb sell, which means to exchange something you own for money. When a shopkeeper sells a bicycle to a customer, the transaction becomes complete: the bicycle has been sold, and the customer now owns it.

The word appears everywhere in commerce and daily life. A bakery might put up a sign saying “SOLD OUT” when all the birthday cakes are gone. At an auction, when the auctioneer shouts “Sold!” and bangs the gavel, it means someone has officially bought the item and the bidding is over. Real estate agents celebrate when a house they've been showing finally gets sold to new owners.

People also use sold in casual ways. You might hear someone say “I'm sold on that idea” when they've become completely convinced. If your friend describes an amazing new book and you decide you want to read it too, you could say “You've sold me!” This means they've persuaded you so effectively that you're ready to commit, just as if you'd bought something at a store.

The word can also describe being tricked or betrayed, though this usage is less common. If someone sold you out, they betrayed your trust, usually for their own benefit.