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Synonyms

successful

American  
[suhk-ses-fuhl] / səkˈsɛs fəl /

adjective

  1. achieving or having achieved success.

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

  3. resulting in or attended with success.


successful British  
/ səkˈsɛsfʊl /

adjective

  1. having succeeded in one's endeavours

  2. marked by a favourable outcome

  3. having obtained fame, wealth, etc

"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

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

First recorded in 1580–90; success + -ful

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.

Pressure has been rising since Australia's social media ban for under-16s entered into force, and Brussels is keeping a close eye on how successful it proves, with the ban already facing legal challenges.

From Barron's

It isn’t always as successful the second or third time around, says Saunders.

From The Wall Street Journal

Weiss said she wants to focus on expanding the most successful CBS News programs — “60 Minutes,” “CBS Sunday Morning” and true crime magazine “48 Hours” to other platforms, including podcasts, newsletters and live events.

From Los Angeles Times

Defense attorneys argued that the brothers—successful, ambitious and social—could be crude and arrogant.

From The Wall Street Journal

Here, BBC Sport looks at why he is so successful in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

From BBC