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
-
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
-
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"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Macbeth" Vocabulary from Act IV
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Kids Like Me: Voices of the Immigrant Experience"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
“Lyft does well when drivers do well, and we’ll stay focused on helping drivers succeed while keeping rideshare affordable and dependable for everyone who counts on it.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026
What’s it been like to see those efforts succeed to some degree?
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
"It's proven to me I can do university and I will be able to succeed," Tabby said, who will be going to Bath Spa University.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
But when Leontes urges Hermione to second his appeal, her pretty blandishments ultimately succeed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
She would succeed, or she would join the njuzu in their watery kingdom.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
And, if a project succeeds, you’ve left a paper trail that shows you were instrumental in its execution.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026
They add that UMC has accelerated its push into silicon photonics, but that will likely take years to materialize even if the chip manufacturer succeeds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
The former securities regulator and federal prosecutor succeeds Tulsi Gabbard, who resigned last month, and inherits an 18-agency intelligence community shaken by leadership turnover and staff cuts.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
The 49-year-old succeeds Rudi Garcia, whose departure was confirmed after Belgium's quarter-final exit to eventual world champions Spain at the 2026 World Cup.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
After a while, one actually succeeds in a dual role.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
All three approaches had been tested individually before, but none had succeeded in permanently clearing the virus.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 13, 2026
He also said Labour needed to "learn to win again", arguing that it succeeded when it was "rooted in communities and serious about people's lives".
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
On Wednesday, he succeeded with a splash, joining Joshua Kushner to purchase the Lakers for $12.5 billion.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
Cracker Barrel announced in July that Chief Executive Julie Masino would depart this month, succeeded by restaurant industry veteran David Deno.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
Because, when she failed, I saw how she might have succeeded.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
That failure led to Arne Slot being sacked as Liverpool manager just 12 months after he masterminded the club's Premier League title triumph in his first season after succeeding Jurgen Klopp.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
But the coaches know they have someone passionate about succeeding.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026
Papa Johns promoted Chris Lyn-Sue to CMO from senior vice president and general manager of international, succeeding Jenna Bromberg, who is leaving the company.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Jaissle, though, sees the club's rebuild as an opportunity to start a new cycle and mould a young, hungry side after succeeding predecessor Eddie Howe.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
The authorities shut down the magazine, either for failing to advise investors correctly or for succeeding in advising investors incorrectly.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
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.
