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
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to come into possession (of property, etc); inherit
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(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:
He also credits his long snapper and holder for helping him succeed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
The rest were classed as "unopposed", with many parents advised not to contest the adoptions, because they would be unlikely to succeed.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
He will succeed Eimear Bonner, the company’s CFO since March 2024, who will become president of Chevron’s oil-and-gas operations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
Appointed in 2025 to succeed Virginie Viard, Karl Lagerfeld's discreet successor, Blazy landed one of the biggest jobs in fashion aged just 40.
From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026
It seemed like an impossible task, but if anyone could succeed, it was the wild robot.
From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown
The answer might help decide whether Muse succeeds in the longer run.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
If it succeeds, GSK told investors that it plans to submit the vaccine to the FDA for an updated label in 2029 at the earliest.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
Beyond shifting from a multi-cam comedy to single-cam and Brandy’s changed-up theme song, this “Different World” succeeds by maintaining a wonderfully familiar energy… like coming back home.
From Salon ● Sep. 4, 2026
She says the campaign with Jenner is one example of how the chain is trying to tap into a younger audience, adding that if the promotion succeeds "maybe that younger audience sticks".
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
But even if the program succeeds in its immediate objective, it is clear that the whole closely knit fabric of life has been ripped apart.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
Sharply defined restrictions on biological weapons, ozone-destroying chemicals, leaded gasoline and tobacco marketing have also succeeded.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
The less expensive model failed after running up $14 worth of token use, while the pricier one succeeded for just $1.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
Cohen, in an interview this year, said she succeeded in getting the report published closer to its due date.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
He succeeded Mark McCall, who stepped down at the end of last season after 15 years in the job.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
First, the achievement of the revolutionary generation was a collective enterprise that succeeded because of the diversity of personalities and ideologies present in the mix.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
“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
Howard Buffett is stepping into his new role as Berkshire Hathaway chairman, succeeding his father Warren Buffett.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
The 24 new rules for succeeding at work: How do you make work dinners palatable?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
Next described the decision as a "landmark victory" succeeding on the "key issue of basic pay".
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
Lady Constance sounded merry in the sort of brightly exaggerated way that made it clear she was trying not to cry, and perhaps not entirely succeeding.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
Definitions 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.
