succeed
Americanverb (used without object)
-
succeeds,
present (3rd person singular)
-
succeeded,
past participle, past
-
succeeding
present participle
-
to happen or terminate according to desire; turn out successfully; have the desired result.
Our efforts succeeded.
- Antonyms:
- fail
-
to thrive, prosper, grow, or the like.
Grass will not succeed in this dry soil.
- Antonyms:
- fail
-
to accomplish what is attempted or intended.
We succeeded in our efforts to start the car.
- Antonyms:
- fail
-
to attain success in some popularly recognized form, as wealth or standing.
The class voted him the one most likely to succeed.
- Antonyms:
- fail
-
to follow or replace another by descent, election, appointment, etc. (often followed byto ).
-
to come next after something else in an order or series.
verb (used with object)
-
succeeds,
present (3rd person singular)
-
succeeded,
past participle, past
-
succeeding
present participle
-
to come after and take the place of, as in an office or estate.
-
to come next after in an order or series, or in the course of events; follow.
- Antonyms:
- precede
verb
-
(intr) to accomplish an aim, esp in the manner desired
he succeeded in winning
-
(intr) to happen in the manner desired
the plan succeeded
-
(intr) to acquit oneself satisfactorily or do well, as in a specified field
to succeed in publishing
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to come next in order (after someone or something)
-
to take over an office, post, etc (from a person)
he succeeded to the vice presidency
-
to come into possession (of property, etc); inherit
-
(intr) to have a result according to a specified manner
the plan succeeded badly
-
(intr) to devolve upon
the estate succeeded to his son
Synonym Usage
Succeed, flourish, prosper, thrive mean to do well. To succeed is to turn out well, to attain a goal: It is everyone's wish to succeed in life. To flourish is to give evidence of success or a ripe development of power, reputation, etc.: Culture flourishes among free people. To prosper is to achieve and enjoy material success: He prospered but was still discontented. Thrive suggests vigorous growth and development such as results from natural vitality or favorable conditions: The children thrived in the sunshine. See follow.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
succeedsimple
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succeedssimple
-
have succeededperfect
-
has succeededperfect
-
am succeedingprogressive
-
are succeedingprogressive
-
is succeedingprogressive
-
have been succeedingperfect progressive
-
has been succeedingperfect progressive
Past
-
succeededsimple
-
had succeededperfect
-
was succeedingprogressive
-
were succeedingprogressive
-
had been succeedingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of succeed
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English succeden from Old French succeder, from Latin succēdere “to go (from) under, follow, prosper,” equivalent to suc- suc- + cēdere “to go” ( see cede)
Explanation
When you succeed at something, you reach a goal or do really well. If you practice speaking Arabic every day, you are likely to succeed at becoming fluent in this language. When you succeed, you achieve the result you hope for, but another way to use succeed is to describe taking over a position. A prince who will inherit his father's kingdom will succeed his father one day, and a new high school principal can be said to succeed the old one. The Latin root of succeed is succedere, come close after.
Vocabulary lists containing succeed
"The Civil Rights Movement"
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"Macbeth" Vocabulary from Act IV
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"Kids Like Me: Voices of the Immigrant Experience"
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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.
See Examples For:
They added: "Any actions of the Libyan militias are not attributable to the United States, as would be required for this claim to succeed."
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
“Even the staunchest champion won’t succeed if the world isn’t ready,” Mr. Byrne writes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
Maria Angelidou-Smith will take over as chief executive of Mojang to succeed Walters.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
He also credits his long snapper and holder for helping him succeed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
Although you may still be a student, you can begin to develop the personal goals that you will need to succeed.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
"God willing, if it succeeds we will continue in other key regions," he said announcing the plan Wednesday.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
Scientists have identified a hidden factor that can determine whether a chemical reaction succeeds or fails.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026
"The appeal succeeds… and the conviction for murder will accordingly be quashed."
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
He succeeds Everett Good, who stepped down as CFO after less than a year in the role.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
Until some gang succeeds in putting the world in a strait jacket, its definition is possibility.
From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison
Scientists knew that whoever succeeded could gain an unprecedented military advantage.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026
She succeeded Karoline Leavitt, a loyal Trump supporter and often combative spokesperson, who stepped down in August to care for her young children.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
Rwanda, which has signed a 10-year deal to host an African Grand Prix from the "early 2030s", has succeeded where Morocco and South Africa, among others, have failed.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
Sankaran retired last year and Albertsons succeeded him with current CEO Susan Morris.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
“Mama’s going away to see Papa,” Flora announced once she’d finally succeeded in getting a rope around Lucky Pete’s neck.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
It was an abrupt test for a leader succeeding Ann Philbin, who retired in 2024 after transforming the Hammer over a quarter-century through inventive exhibitions and high-profile expansion.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
TFG secured a deal for 99.5% of the club, succeeding former owner Farhad Moshiri in 2024 after Everton had fallen into financial crisis.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
“The Swan” was not a singular occurrence, then, but part of an era hawking cosmetic improvement, whether surgical or noninvasive, as the key to succeeding at life.
From Salon ● Oct. 1, 2026
Diageo DGE -0.34%decrease; red down pointing triangle named WPP WPP -0.94%decrease; red down pointing triangle finance chief Joanne Wilson as its next chief financial officer, succeeding Nik Jhangiani.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
The alliance seemed to have a reasonable chance of succeeding, but eighteen months of warfare severely depleted Indigenous villages and agricultural resources.
From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
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