achieve
verb OPAL W
/əˈtʃiːv/
/əˈtʃiːv/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they achieve | /əˈtʃiːv/ /əˈtʃiːv/ |
| he / she / it achieves | /əˈtʃiːvz/ /əˈtʃiːvz/ |
| past simple achieved | /əˈtʃiːvd/ /əˈtʃiːvd/ |
| past participle achieved | /əˈtʃiːvd/ /əˈtʃiːvd/ |
| -ing form achieving | /əˈtʃiːvɪŋ/ /əˈtʃiːvɪŋ/ |
- [transitive] achieve something to succeed in reaching a particular goal, status or standard, especially by making an effort for a long time synonym attain
- He had finally achieved success.
- They have both achieved great results
- She has worked hard to achieve her goal.
- to achieve an objective/aim
- They could not achieve their target of less than 3% inflation.
- The firm has achieved the status of undisputed market leader.
- achieve something through (doing) something Course objectives were achieved through a range of activities.
Extra ExamplesTopics Successa2, Working lifea2- I achieved a longstanding ambition to fly solo.
- Sooner or later our shared efforts will achieve results.
- The present law has failed to achieve its objectives.
- how to achieve a balance between work and family life
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + achieve- fail to
- be able to
- try to
- …
- [transitive] achieve something to succeed in doing something or causing something to happen synonym accomplish
- I haven't achieved very much today.
- All you've achieved is to upset my parents.
Extra ExamplesTopics Successb2- By the end of the afternoon we had achieved very little.
- They haven't achieved much yet.
- I knew that the demonstration would achieve nothing.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + achieve- fail to
- be able to
- try to
- …
- [intransitive] to be successful
- Their background gives them little chance of achieving at school.
- These students need to achieve academically in order to enter the labour market.
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French achever ‘come or bring to a head’, from a chief ‘to a head’.