succes d'estime: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowFormal, Literary
Quick answer
What does “succes d'estime” mean?
A critical success, widely praised by reviewers and experts, but which fails to achieve significant commercial success or widespread public popularity.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A critical success, widely praised by reviewers and experts, but which fails to achieve significant commercial success or widespread public popularity.
Any achievement that is respected by a discerning minority (e.g., in a specialized field) but does not achieve mainstream recognition or financial reward.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both use it identically. More frequent in UK publications due to closer cultural ties with French, but the term is understood in educated circles in both regions.
Connotations
Suggests a sophisticated, perhaps niche, work. Can imply a touch of elitism or a work that is 'too good for the masses'.
Frequency
Rare in spoken language; found almost exclusively in written reviews, academic critiques, and cultural journalism.
Grammar
How to Use “succes d'estime” in a Sentence
[Subject: work/artist] + achieve/earn/prove to be + a succès d'estimeVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “succes d'estime” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The director's latest feature was widely expected to **succès d'estime**, and so it proved.
American English
- The indie band's album is likely to **succès d'estime**, topping critics' lists but not the charts.
adverb
British English
- The play was received **succès-d'estime-ly**, with rave reviews compensating for empty seats.
American English
- The novel performed **succès d'estime**, praised in literary circles but a slow seller.
adjective
British English
- He has built a career on **succès-d'estime** projects that garner awards but meagre audiences.
American English
- It was a **succès-d'estime** kind of film, playing in just a handful of arthouse theaters.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Might be used metaphorically for a technologically innovative product that fails to find a market.
Academic
Used in literary criticism, film studies, and cultural theory to categorize works.
Everyday
Virtually never used in casual conversation.
Technical
A precise term in arts criticism and publishing.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “succes d'estime”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “succes d'estime”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “succes d'estime”
- Misspelling: *success d'estime*, *succes d'estim*. Incorrect plural: *succès d'estimes* (the 'estime' part does not pluralize). Incorrect pronunciation stressing 'd'ESTime' instead of 'deSTIME'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. In the French pronunciation retained in English, the final 's' in 'succès' is silent. It is pronounced 'sook-seh'.
Yes, though rarely. It can be applied metaphorically to any endeavor (e.g., a policy, a scientific theory) that gains respect from experts but fails to gain broader acceptance or practical implementation.
The plural is 'succès d'estime'. The entire phrase is treated as a compound noun, and only the first word is theoretically pluralized in French ('des succès d'estime'), but in English usage, it is often left unchanged.
It can be perceived as somewhat pretentious or overly erudite in casual conversation because it is a direct French borrowing used in specialized discourse. In appropriate contexts (arts criticism), it is a precise and useful term.
A critical success, widely praised by reviewers and experts, but which fails to achieve significant commercial success or widespread public popularity.
Succes d'estime is usually formal, literary in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A triumph of art over commerce”
- “Won the critics but lost the crowd”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a SUCCulent CESsna plane (succès) flying high with ESTIMEd critics on board (d'estime), but the public is waiting at a different, empty airport.
Conceptual Metaphor
ARTISTIC MERIT IS A CURRENCY NOT ACCEPTED IN THE COMMERCIAL MARKET.
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary characteristic of a 'succès d'estime'?