adjective
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having succeeded in one's endeavours
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marked by a favourable outcome
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having obtained fame, wealth, etc
Usage
Spelling tips for successful The word successful is hard to spell because it can be hard to know which letters are doubled. Both the c and the middle s are doubled, but the f and l are not. How to spell successful: To be a success, you need to see (two Cs) Some Smarts (two Ss). This reminds you that success is spelled with a double C in the middle and a double S at the end. To spell successful, you add the base word (success) to the suffix -ful.
Other Word Forms
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half-successfulnessnoun
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successfulnessnoun
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half-successfuladjective
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nonsuccessfuladjective
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presuccessfuladjective
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quasi-successfuladjective
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semisuccessfuladjective
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half-successfullyadverb
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nonsuccessfullyadverb
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presuccessfullyadverb
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quasi-successfullyadverb
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semisuccessfullyadverb
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successfullyadverb
Etymology
Origin of successful
Explanation
If you win or do well, at whatever it is you do, you are successful. Successful people usually get more money, attention, and praise. If you go into business and make a lot of money, you're successful. If you play tennis and finish the season with more wins than losses, you've been successful. If you have a successful pregnancy, you give birth to a healthy baby. Successful is one of those words that covers a great deal of ground; it generally applies to anything, anyone or any venture that ends well. When you see the word successful, think "Winning!"
Vocabulary lists containing successful
Power Suffix: -ful
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Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 5
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-ful
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Denis said group members were “committed to making sure that businesses are successful and survive using the financing tools our members offer.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
All 141 successful candidates were chosen by students from universities across Serbia through a lengthy, secretive and carefully crafted process, and tasked with implementing the movement's plan for a complete rebuild of the country.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
She said her current rate was more than £18,000, but if her challenge was successful, her business would be below that figure, which would be a "relief".
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
The committee landed on Nee, a successful private-equity partner based in Boston.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
“After the last two glorious weeks of open and successful defiance,” he later said, “I wasn’t in a mood to jump when the authorities told me to.”
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
