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
- half-successful adjective
- half-successfully adverb
- half-successfulness noun
- nonsuccessful adjective
- nonsuccessfully adverb
- presuccessful adjective
- presuccessfully adverb
- quasi-successful adjective
- quasi-successfully adverb
- semisuccessful adjective
- semisuccessfully adverb
- successfully adverb
- successfulness noun
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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"A Raisin in the Sun," "My Father is a Simple Man," and "My Mother Pieced Quilts"
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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.
A Prime Video documentary revisits the career of the legendary Laker, whose image inspired the NBA logo and who was, despite his angsty nature, tremendously successful as both a player and a manager.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
After a recent string of successful films such as “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” and “Project Hail Mary,” movie theaters are feeling more optimistic about the year ahead.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026
Washington retired two years later to Mount Vernon, where—perhaps inspired by the rebellion—he became a successful distiller of rye and corn whiskey.
From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026
The discovery provides the first direct evidence that mammal ancestors laid eggs and also helps explain why Lystrosaurus became so successful in post-extinction ecosystems.
From Science Daily • Apr. 14, 2026
Though it had been difficult, and despite long odds and months spent apart, Mamá and Daddy’s vision for our family was successful.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
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.
