successful

[suh k-ses-fuh l]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR successful ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

achieving or having achieved success.

having attained wealth, position, honors, or the like.

resulting in or attended with success.

Origin of successful

First recorded in 1580–90; success + -ful

Related formssuc·cess·ful·ly, adverbsuc·cess·ful·ness, nounhalf-suc·cess·ful, adjectivehalf-suc·cess·ful·ly, adverbhalf-suc·cess·ful·ness, nounnon·suc·cess·ful, adjectivenon·suc·cess·ful·ly, adverbpre·suc·cess·ful, adjectivepre·suc·cess·ful·ly, adverbqua·si-suc·cess·ful, adjectivequa·si-suc·cess·ful·ly, adverbsem·i·suc·cess·ful, adjectivesem·i·suc·cess·ful·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for successful

prosperous, outstanding, lucky, fruitful, rewarding, lucrative, fortunate, wealthy, strong, happy, acknowledged, advantageous, auspicious, blooming, champion, efficacious, extraordinary, flourishing, fortuitous, moneymaking

Examples from the Web for successful

Contemporary Examples of successful

Malaysian-based entrepreneur Tony Fernandes has turned AirAsia into the most successful low cost airline in southeast Asia.
Annoying Airport Delays Might Prevent You From Becoming the Next AirAsia 8501
Clive Irving
January 6, 2015
Beyoncé has, for close to a decade now, been a deity in entertainment: untouchable, successful, divine.
Bow Down, Bitches: How Beyoncé Turned an Elevator Brawl Into a Perfect Year
Kevin Fallon
December 31, 2014
Just how many fake nodes would be needed in order to pull off a successful Sybil attack against Tor is not known.
The Attack on the Hidden Internet
Marc Rogers
December 29, 2014
A successful trend-maker might be able to steer a conversation, but virality remains extremely difficult to predict.
China’s Internet Is Freer Than You Think
Brendon Hong
December 27, 2014
After a successful summer working alongside R, he officially offered her the reigns of La Domaine.
Dungeons and Genital Clamps: Inside a Legendary BDSM Chateau
Ian Frisch
December 20, 2014

Historical Examples of successful

The room we entered was heated by what I took to be a successful furnace.
Punchinello, Vol. 1. No. 20, August 13, 1870
Various
When great sorrows come it is because in the struggle we have not been successful.
The Conquest of Fear
Basil King
Never had there been insurrection so sudden, so short, and so successful.
The White Company
Arthur Conan Doyle
Already she was learning that peace of mind is essential to successful endeavor.
K
Mary Roberts Rinehart
Crane's racing season had been as successful as the Master of Ringwood's had been disastrous.
Thoroughbreds
W. A. Fraser

British Dictionary definitions for successful

successful

adjective

having succeeded in one's endeavours

marked by a favourable outcome

having obtained fame, wealth, etc

Derived Formssuccessfully, adverbsuccessfulness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for successful

adj.

1580s, from success + -ful. Originally any kind of success; since late 19c. it has tended to mean "wealthy" unless otherwise indicated. Related: Successfully.