peddle

peddle — verb

1. to move around selling small goods directly to people

1.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to move around selling small goods directly to people

Example

A man peddled cheap sunglasses outside the station all afternoon.

peddle + goods in a street-selling scene

During summer break, Nina peddled cold drinks along the beach road.

Common collocations
  • peddle goods
  • peddle wares
  • peddle from a cart
  • peddle door to door
  • peddle to tourists
Synonyms
  • hawk

    very close in meaning, often with a slightly disapproving or old-fashioned tone

  • sell

    the broad everyday verb, without the idea of moving from place to place

  • vend

    more formal and often used for machines or official sellers

Grammar Patterns

peddle goods to people

peddle something from place to place

peddle something door to door

Usage Note

The object is usually inexpensive goods sold face to face, and the verb often suggests a street, market, or door-to-door setting. Distinguish from sense 2: here you are selling a real product, not spreading a story or idea.

Common Mistakes

The shop peddles books on Main Street.
The shop sells books on Main Street.
'peddle' usually suggests moving around to reach customers, not selling from one fixed store.

2. to pass a story, idea, or claim from person to person in order to win support fo

2.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to pass a story, idea, or claim from person to person in order to win support for it

Example

The website peddled false health advice to worried parents.

peddle + false advice to an audience

During the storm, one radio host peddled fear with fake flood warnings.

peddle fear with alarming false warnings

Common collocations
  • peddle a rumor
  • peddle lies
  • peddle fear
  • peddle false hope
  • peddle a myth
Synonyms
  • spread

    broader and more neutral for passing information to many people

  • push

    informal and critical, often for forcing an idea on people

  • tout

    stresses active promotion, often of something presented as impressive

  • propagate

    formal and often used for beliefs or doctrines

Grammar Patterns

peddle a story

peddle an idea to people

keep peddling a claim

Usage Note

The object is usually an idea, rumor, fear, or supposed solution that someone wants others to accept. The tone is often negative and suggests pressure, dishonesty, or low value.

Common Mistakes

The reporter peddled the news quickly.
The reporter spread the news quickly.
in this sense, 'peddle' usually suggests a doubtful story, a manipulative message, or something presented as valuable.

Word family

  • peddler
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

For verb sense 1, peddle is narrower than the everyday verb sell. Sell can describe any exchange for money, including in a shop or on a website, while peddle usually suggests moving around and offering goods directly to people. Hawk is the closest synonym and often carries the same street-selling image, but it can sound more old-fashioned or more strongly disapproving. Vend is formal and is often used for machines or official supply systems, not for someone going door to door. Push can overlap with peddle in informal speech when the speaker dislikes the product, but it is broader and less tied to travelling. A shop sells bread, a street trader peddles sunglasses, and an angry critic may say a company is pushing junk.

sell ↗hawk ↗vendpush ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

Phrases

  • peddle something to someone

Prepositions

Etymology

Middle EnglishEnglish

Peddle was formed in English from peddler, probably by removing the final -r. Peddler goes back to Middle English pedlere, a changed form of pedder, meaning a travelling seller.