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. [+ in]
successfullyadverb [ADVERB with verb]
The doctors have successfully concluded preliminary tests.
Synonyms: well, favourably, in triumph, with flying colours More Synonyms of successful
2. adjective
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.
Synonyms: thriving, profitable, productive, paying More Synonyms of successful
3. adjective
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. [+ in]
She is a successful lawyer.
Synonyms: top, prosperous, eminent, acknowledged More Synonyms of successful
More Synonyms of successful
successful in British English
(səkˈsɛsfʊl)
adjective
1.
having succeeded in one's endeavours
2.
marked by a favourable outcome
3.
having obtained fame, wealth, etc
Derived forms
successfully (sucˈcessfully)
adverb
successfulness (sucˈcessfulness)
noun
successful in American English
(səkˈsɛsfəl)
adjective
1.
coming about, taking place, or turning out to be as was hoped for
a successful mission
2.
having achieved success; specif., having gained wealth, fame, etc.
Derived forms
successfully (sucˈcessfully)
adverb
successfulness (sucˈcessfulness)
noun
Examples of 'successful' in a sentence
successful
The next year a successful attempt was made by airship.
Eric Newby A BOOK OF LANDS AND PEOPLES (2003)
Would she have been less successful in business had she experienced a happier childhood?
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Small wonder both have gone on to forge successful careers out of the car.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
You look at any successful side long term.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
To have one highly successful career would be enough for most.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
One successful young guy got hooked because he was abroad a lot with work.
The Sun (2009)
Will the sacrifices only be worthwhile if our life and work are hugely successful?
Christianity Today (2000)
The successful outcome of those initiatives receives little attention here.
The Times Literary Supplement (2014)
Your career thus far has been extremely successful.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
None of these attempts have proved successful.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
One of the main reasons this was so successful was having one agency dealing with the problem.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
One successful job of representation led to another.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Rumours abound about the hugely successful investment bank.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The outcome was successful for the players.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
The company has been extremely successful financially but has lagged behind otherinternational shoe brands.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
It remains to be seen whether these changes are more successful than previous attempts at shuffling around of departmental boundaries.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It has become fashionable to knock lawyers, especially successful ones.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
That was not the result of a successful political campaign but of a successful use of modern targeting of marginal voters in marginal seats.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
I had been very successful as a lawyer.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
If the campaign is successful, the ad might just appear in December.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
In other languages
successful
British English: successful /səkˈsɛsfʊl/ ADJECTIVE
Someone or something that is successful achieves a desired result or performs in a satisfactory way.
How successful will this new treatment be?
American English: successful
Arabic: نَاجِح
Brazilian Portuguese: bem-sucedido
Chinese: 成功的
Croatian: uspješan
Czech: úspěšný
Danish: succesrig
Dutch: succesvol
European Spanish: exitoso
Finnish: menestyvä
French: réussi
German: erfolgreich
Greek: πετυχημένος
Italian: di successo
Japanese: 成功した
Korean: 성공한
Norwegian: vellykket
Polish: pomyślny
European Portuguese: bem-sucedido
Romanian: cu succes
Russian: успешный
Latin American Spanish: exitoso
Swedish: framgångsrik
Thai: ประสบผลสำเร็จ
Turkish: başarılı
Ukrainian: успішний
Vietnamese: thành công
All related terms of 'successful'
successful artist
An artist is someone who draws or paints pictures or creates sculptures as a job or a hobby .
successful formula
A formula for a particular situation , usually a good one, is a course of action or a combination of actions that is certain or likely to result in that situation.
successful season
You can use season to refer to a fixed period during each year when a particular sport is played.
successful writer
A writer is a person who writes books, stories , or articles as a job .
successful applicant
An applicant for something such as a job or a place at a college is someone who makes a formal written request to be given it.
successful application
An application for something such as a job or membership of an organization is a formal written request for it.
successful partnership
Partnership or a partnership is a relationship in which two or more people, organizations, or countries work together as partners .
Chinese translation of 'successful'
successful
(səkˈsɛsful)
adj
[attempt, film, product]成功的 (chénggōng de)
[writer, lawyer]有成就的 (yǒu chéngjiù de)
the successful candidate获(獲)胜(勝)的候选(選)人 (huòshèng de hòuxuǎnrén)
to be successful in doing sth在做某事方面成功 (zài zuò mǒushì fāngmiàn chénggōng)
1 (adjective)
Definition
having a favourable outcome
The successful candidate will be announced in June.
Synonyms
triumphant
the triumphant team
victorious
He played for the victorious Argentinian side in the 1978 World Cup.
lucky
I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.
fortunate
the economic burdens placed on less fortunate families
2 (adjective)
Definition
having attained fame, wealth, or position
One of the keys to successful business is careful planning.
Synonyms
thriving
He now owns a thriving antique business.
profitable
a profitable exchange of ideas
productive
a productive relationship
paying
effective
Antibiotics are effective against this organism.
rewarding
a career which she found rewarding
booming
It has a booming tourist industry.
efficient
a relatively cheap and efficient form of communication
flourishing
London quickly became a flourishing port.
unbeaten
lucrative
Many of them have found lucrative jobs in private security firms.
favourable
buoyant
fruitful
We had a long, fruitful relationship.
profit-making
efficacious
The nasal spray was new on the market and highly efficacious.
moneymaking
They are trying to attract money-making movies back to Britain.
Opposites
failed
,
unsuccessful
,
unprofitable
,
losing
,
defeated
,
useless
,
ineffective
,
luckless
,
uneconomic
3 (adjective)
Definition
having attained fame, wealth, or position
She is a successful lawyer.
Synonyms
top
I need to have the top people in this company work together.
prosperous
She has developed a prosperous business.
eminent
acknowledged
wealthy
a wealthy international businessman
out in front (informal)
going places
at the top of the tree
on a roll
Additional synonyms
in the sense of booming
It has a booming tourist industry.
Synonyms
flourishing,
successful,
expanding,
doing well,
thriving,
blooming,
mushrooming,
prospering,
rampant,
burgeoning,
on the up and up (British)
in the sense of effective
Definition
producing a desired result
Antibiotics are effective against this organism.
Synonyms
efficient,
successful,
useful,
active,
capable,
valuable,
helpful,
adequate,
productive,
operative,
competent,
serviceable,
efficacious,
effectual
in the sense of efficacious
Definition
producing the intended result
The nasal spray was new on the market and highly efficacious.
Synonyms
effective,
successful,
efficient,
powerful,
useful,
active,
capable,
adequate,
productive,
operative,
potent,
competent,
serviceable,
effectual
Synonyms of 'successful'
successful
Explore 'successful' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of efficient
Definition
working or producing effectively without wasting effort, energy, or money
a relatively cheap and efficient form of communication
Synonyms
effective,
successful,
structured,
productive,
powerful,
systematic,
streamlined,
cost-effective,
methodical,
well-organized,
well-planned,
labour-saving,
effectual
in the sense of flourishing
London quickly became a flourishing port.
Synonyms
thriving,
successful,
doing well,
blooming,
mushrooming,
prospering,
rampant,
burgeoning,
on a roll,
going places,
going strong,
in the pink,
in top form,
on the up and up (informal)
in the sense of fortunate
the economic burdens placed on less fortunate families
Synonyms
well-off,
rich,
successful,
comfortable (informal),
wealthy,
prosperous,
affluent,
opulent,
well-heeled (informal),
well-to-do,
sitting pretty (informal)
in the sense of fruitful
Definition
producing good and useful results
We had a long, fruitful relationship.
Synonyms
useful,
successful,
effective,
rewarding,
profitable,
productive,
worthwhile,
beneficial,
advantageous,
well-spent,
win-win,
gainful
in the sense of lucky
Definition
having or bringing good fortune
I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.
Synonyms
fortunate,
successful,
favoured,
charmed,
blessed,
prosperous,
jammy (British, slang),
serendipitous
in the sense of lucrative
Definition
profitable
Many of them have found lucrative jobs in private security firms.
Synonyms
profitable,
rewarding,
productive,
fruitful,
paying,
high-income,
well-paid,
money-making,
advantageous,
win-win,
gainful,
remunerative
in the sense of moneymaking
They are trying to attract money-making movies back to Britain.
Synonyms
profitable,
successful,
lucrative,
gainful,
paying,
thriving,
remunerative
in the sense of productive
Definition
yielding favourable results
a productive relationship
Synonyms
useful,
rewarding,
valuable,
profitable,
effective,
worthwhile,
beneficial,
constructive,
gratifying,
fruitful,
advantageous,
win-win,
gainful
in the sense of profitable
Definition
making money or gaining an advantage or benefit
a profitable exchange of ideas
Synonyms
beneficial,
economic (British),
useful,
rewarding,
valuable,
productive,
worthwhile,
fruitful,
advantageous,
expedient,
win-win,
serviceable
in the sense of prosperous
Definition
wealthy and successful
She has developed a prosperous business.
Synonyms
successful,
booming,
thriving,
flourishing,
doing well,
prospering,
on a roll,
on the up and up (British),
palmy
Additional synonyms
in the sense of rewarding
Definition
giving personal satisfaction
a career which she found rewarding
Synonyms
satisfying,
fulfilling,
gratifying,
edifying,
economic (British),
pleasing,
valuable,
profitable,
productive,
worthwhile,
beneficial,
enriching,
fruitful,
advantageous,
gainful,
remunerative
in the sense of victorious
Definition
having defeated an enemy or opponent
He played for the victorious Argentinian side in the 1978 World Cup.
Synonyms
winning,
successful,
triumphant,
first,
champion,
conquering,
vanquishing,
prizewinning
in the sense of wealthy
Definition
having a large amount of money and valuable material possessions