successful
achieving the results wanted or hoped for
My second attempt at making flaky pastry was a bit more successful.
Oxford Essential Dictionary
successful
adjective
spelling
Remember! You spell successful with CC and SS.
If you are successful, you have got or done what you wanted, or you have become popular, rich, etc.:
a successful actor
The party was very successful.
opposite unsuccessful
>> successfully adverb:
He completed his studies successfully.
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
successful
suc‧cess‧ful S2 W1 /səkˈsesfəl/ BrE AmE adjective
[Word Family: noun: ↑success, ↑succession, ↑successor; adjective: ↑successful ≠ ↑unsuccessful, ↑successive; verb: ↑succeed; adverb: ↑successfully ≠ ↑unsuccessfully]
1. achieving what you wanted, or having the effect or result you intended:
The operation was successful.
a highly successful (=very successful) meeting
successful in (doing) something
Were you successful in persuading him to change his mind?
2. a successful business, film, product etc makes a lot of money:
The show’s had a pretty successful run.
a highly successful (=very successful) product
3. a successful person earns a lot of money or is very well known and respected:
Arthur was a highly successful (=very successful) businessman.
successful in
He later became successful in politics.
successful as
I think she’ll be successful as a photographer.
—successfully adverb:
He successfully completed a master’s degree.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ successful achieving what you wanted, or having the effect or result you intended: He applied for a visa three times and in the end he was successful. | The treatment was successful. | It was a highly successful campaign.
▪ effective having the effect or result that was wanted - used especially about treatments, drugs, or methods: The drug is effective against a range of diseases. | We still haven't found an effective way to solve the problem.
▪ victorious successful as a result of winning in a game, election, war etc: the captain of the victorious team | She emerged victorious in the second round of voting.
▪ promising likely to be very successful in the future, used especially about someone who is good at a job, sport, art etc: a promising young athlete | He gave up a promising career in banking.
▪ thriving very successful – used about a company, industry, or organization that is doing well at a particular time: The area has a thriving tourist industry. | The school is thriving academically.
▪ booming extremely successful – used about an economy, or when business or trade is increasing: the booming economy in China | Business is booming.
success
suc‧cess S1 W1 /səkˈses/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable and countable]
[Word Family: noun: ↑success, ↑succession, ↑successor; adjective: ↑successful ≠ ↑unsuccessful, ↑successive; verb: ↑succeed; adverb: ↑successfully ≠ ↑unsuccessfully]
[Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: past participle of succedere; ⇨ ↑succeed]
1. when you achieve what you want or intend OPP failure:
The experiment was a big success.
without success
I tried to contact him, but without success.
success in doing something
Did you have any success in persuading Alan to come?
2. when a lot of people like something, buy something, go to see something etc OPP failure
be a big/huge/great etc success
The film was a great success.
Her book has enjoyed a lot of success (=it has been very successful).
The play was a box-office success (=many people went to see it).
The show was an overnight success (=it was immediately successful).
3. when someone achieves a high position in their job, on a course, in a sport, in society etc OPP failure:
Success isn’t everything, you know.
success in
He has already had a lot of success in his career.
be a success as a ... (=be successful in a particular job)
She wasn’t much of a success as a lawyer.
She’s determined to make a success of (=be successful in) her career.
4. when a business makes a lot of money OPP failure:
the success of his latest business venture
be a big/huge/great etc success
The firm wasn’t a great success.
5. success story someone or something that is successful:
The company has been a major success story.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ adjectives
▪ a great success Everyone agreed the picnic was a great success.
▪ a big/huge/major success The government claimed the policy was a major success.
▪ a resounding/outstanding/spectacular success (=very great success) Financially, the event was a resounding success.
▪ great/considerable success This plant can be grown by the absolute beginner with great success.
▪ some success The group is already achieving some success.
▪ little/no success Attempts to resolve the dispute met with little success.
▪ limited success (=not very much success) The attempt to replace coca with other crops has had only limited success.
▪ commercial/economic/financial success None of his ideas had any commercial success.
▪ academic success (=success in education) There is no evidence that early teaching of reading leads to academic success.
▪ electoral success (=success in elections) The electoral success of the far right understandably fills many people in Europe with alarm.
▪ military success This military success was achieved at a cost.
■ verbs
▪ have/achieve success China has had considerable success in conserving water since 1983.
▪ meet with success (=be successful) We are disappointed that this round of negotiations has not met with success.
▪ put your success down to something (=say that your success was the result of it) They put their success down to their excellent teamwork.
■ phrases
▪ somebody's chance of success They have a good chance of success.
▪ the secret of somebody's success (=what makes them successful) A visitor asked Connie the secret of her success with growing roses.
▪ the success rate (=what percentage of actions are successful) The success rate in cloning is still extremely low.
■ COMMON ERRORS
► Do not say 'make success' or 'make a success'. Say have success or achieve success.
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
successful
suc·cess·ful [successful successfully] [səkˈsesfl] [səkˈsesfl] adjective
1. achieving your aims or what was intended
• ~ (in sth/in doing sth) They were successful in winning the contract.
• ~ (at sth/at doing sth) I wasn't very successful at keeping the news secret.
• We congratulated them on the successful completion of the project.
2. having become popular and/or made a lot of money
• The play was very successful on Broadway.
• a successful actor
• The company has had another successful year.
Opp: unsuccessful
Derived Word: successfully
Synonyms:
successful
profitable • commercial • lucrative • economic
These words all describe sb/sth that is making or is likely to make money.
successful • making a lot of money, especially by being popular: ▪ The play was very successful on Broadway. ◊ ▪ The company has had another successful year.
profitable • making a profit: ▪ a highly profitable business
commercial • [only before noun] making or intended to make a profit: ▪ The movie was not a commercial success ▪ (= made no profit) ▪.
lucrative • (of business or work) producing or paying a large amount of money; making a large profit: ▪ They do a lot of business in lucrative overseas markets.
economic • (often used in negative sentences) (of a process, business or activity) producing enough profit to continue: ▪ Small local shops stop being economic when a supermarket opens up nearby.
a successful/profitable/lucrative business
a successful/profitable/lucrative year
a(n) commercial/economic success
Example Bank:
• The alliance was ultimately successful in getting its message across.
• The operation was only partially successful.
• Their attempts had not been entirely successful.
• We hope the party will be successful in the elections.
• Winning is the only way they can feel successful.
• a politically successful manoeuvre
• his phenomenally successful period as manager
• hoping their party would be successful in the elections
• He had a phenomenally successful period as manager.
• He had been successful at every job he had done.
• She has had a long and successful career in television.
• The company has been successful in controlling costs.
• The experiment was entirely successful.
• The police became more successful at clearing up crime.
• The successful candidate will be responsible for a large research project.
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
successful / səkˈses.f ə l / adjective
B1 achieving the results wanted or hoped for:
a successful operation
My second attempt at making flaky pastry was a bit more successful.
This year's harvest was one of the most successful since the record crop of 1985.
→ Opposite unsuccessful
B2 having achieved a lot, become popular, and/or made a lot of money:
a successful career
She runs a very successful computer business.
He's the author of several hugely successful children's books (= books which have been bought by a lot of people) .
The Birmingham Royal Ballet has had a highly successful season.
→ Opposite unsuccessful
successfully / -i / adverb
B2
A number of patients have been successfully treated with the new drug.
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary
successful
[səkse̱sfʊl]
♦♦
1) ADJ-GRADED: oft ADJ in -ing Something that is successful achieves what it was intended to achieve. Someone who is successful achieves what they intended to achieve.
How successful will this new treatment be?...
I am looking forward to a long and successful partnership with him...
She has been comparatively successful in maintaining her privacy.
Ant:
unsuccessful
Derived words:
successfully ADV ADV with v The doctors have successfully concluded preliminary tests.
2) ADJ-GRADED Something that is successful is popular or makes a lot of money.
...the hugely successful movie that brought Robert Redford an Oscar for his directing...
One of the keys to successful business is careful planning.
3) ADJ-GRADED: oft ADJ in n Someone who is successful achieves a high position in what they do, for example in business or politics.
Women do not necessarily have to imitate men to be successful in business...
She is a successful lawyer.
Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary
successful
suc·cess·ful /səkˈsɛsfəl/ adj [more ~; most ~]
1 : having the correct or desired result : ending in success
• a successful attempt
• The treatment was successful.
• a successful movie [=a movie that makes a large profit]
• Our search was successful. [=we found what we were searching for]
2 : having gotten or achieved wealth, respect, or fame
• a successful businesswoman
- suc·cess·ful·ly adv
• We have successfully finished the project.
• The infection was treated successfully.
