success

success

suc·cess [success successes]   [səkˈses]    [səkˈses]  noun
1. uncountable the fact that you have achieved sth that you want and have been trying to do or get; the fact of becoming rich or famous or of getting a high social position
• What's the secret of your success?
• ~ (in doing sth) I didn't have much success in finding a job.
• ~ (in sth) They didn't have much success in life.
• Confidence is the key to success.
• economic success
• Their plan will probably meet with little success.

• She was surprised by the book's success (= that it had sold a lot of copies).

2. countable a person or thing that has achieved a good result and been successful
• The party was a big success.
• He's proud of his daughter's successes.
• She wasn't a success as a teacher.
• He was determined to make a success of the business.
Opp:  failure, see a roaring success at  roaring, nothing succeeds like success at  succeed, the sweet smell of success at  sweet  _adj.  
Word Origin:
mid 16th cent.: from Latin successus, from the verb succedere ‘come close after’, from sub- ‘close to’ + cedere ‘go’.  
Example Bank:
• He attributes his success to having a stable family life.
• He is eager to notch up another success.
• He was pleased with his apparent success.
• I owe my success to him.
• I've had some success in getting rid of the weeds.
• Initially the venture enjoyed a fair amount of success.
• It has already been used with great success.
• Much of his success lies in his skill in handling staff.
• Researchers have claimed great success with this approach.
• Several people have reported success with this approach.
• She had little success in getting new customers.
• She had worked hard and was confident of success.
• She tried to persuade them without success.
• She's made a real success of that job.
• Success didn't come overnight— she struggled for years before making any money.
• That kind of financial success breeds confidence.
• The band's new album has been a runaway success.
• The bank's success rests on several factors.
• The book proved a major commercial success.
• The campaign had only limited success.
• The campaign to stop drink-driving had only limited success.
• The company has been one of the success stories of the past decade.
• The company's excellent marketing has resulted in enormous international success.
• The event was judged a success by its organizers.
• The movement has scored some notable successes.
• The operation has a success rate of over 80%.
• The success or failure of the project depends on how committed the managers are.
• The year-long fight for a pay rise ended in success.
• The year-long fight for permission to build the house ended in success.
• Their ultimate success has yet to be determined.
• These issues determine success in the global marketplace.
• We are sad to see Hiroko go, and wish her every success in the future.
• We can't guarantee immediate success.
• We had one or two outstanding successes.
• We were celebrating our success.
• We're trying to get him to sponsor us, but there's not much hope of success.
• What are our chances of success?
• Your contribution was vital to the success of the concert.
• artists who have experienced some initial success
• one of the key success factors
• the immediate satisfaction of worldly success
• the mixed success of the project
• the recent success of films from Mexico
• the secret of his success with women
• the test's ability to predict success in college
• He had already achieved modest successes on the London stage.
• If we manage to break even this year, it will be a qualified success.
• She wasn't a success as a teacher.
• The party was a great success.
• Confidence is the key to success.
• She was surprised by the book' s success.

• commercial/economic/electoral success