success
A1Formal, informal, and neutral; extremely common across all registers.
Definition
Meaning
The achievement of a desired aim, goal, or outcome; the attainment of wealth, fame, or position.
A person or thing that achieves success or is generally regarded as successful. The favourable or prosperous outcome of an undertaking. The measure of effectiveness in reaching objectives.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a non-countable noun describing the abstract concept, but can be countable when referring to individual instances of success or successful people/things. Often implies positive evaluation and attainment.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. Both varieties use the word identically.
Connotations
Similar connotations of achievement, prosperity, and positive outcome in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally high frequency in both British and American English.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
success in (doing) somethingsuccess as somethingsuccess of something/someonesuccess with somethingsuccess at somethingVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “a roaring success”
- “nothing succeeds like success”
- “dress for success”
- “success is in the bag”
- “a recipe for success”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Focus on meeting targets, profitability, market share, and career advancement.
Academic
Focus on achieving learning outcomes, research impact, publication, and graduation.
Everyday
Focus on personal goals, happiness, relationships, and general well-being.
Technical
Focus on meeting specific performance metrics, system reliability, and project completion.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- They hope to succeed in their new venture.
- He succeeded his father as company director.
American English
- The plan succeeded beyond our expectations.
- She succeeded in passing the bar exam.
adverb
British English
- The team performed successfully under pressure.
- He negotiated the deal successfully.
American English
- She completed the project successfully ahead of schedule.
- The system was successfully implemented.
adjective
British English
- She is a highly successful author.
- It was a successful product launch.
American English
- He runs a successful business downtown.
- The surgery was successful.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The party was a big success.
- I wish you success!
- Her success is due to hard work.
- The success of the project surprised everyone.
- The film's commercial success led to a sequel.
- Achieving long-term success requires consistent effort.
- The initiative's success hinged on stakeholder buy-in.
- His meteoric rise to success was chronicled in the press.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Remember 'suc-' (like 'succeed') + '-cess' (like 'process') – the process of succeeding.
Conceptual Metaphor
SUCCESS IS UP/A HIGH POSITION (climb to success), SUCCESS IS A JOURNEY (path/road to success), SUCCESS IS A CONTAINER (full of success).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid overusing 'успех' for minor positive outcomes where 'progress' or 'good result' is more natural in English.
- Note that 'successful' is an adjective, not an adverb.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'a success' for uncountable general concept (e.g., 'He wants success' not 'He wants a success').
- Misspelling as 'succes' or 'succsess'.
- Confusing 'success' (noun) with 'succeed' (verb).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is NOT a common collocation with 'success'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is primarily uncountable for the general concept (e.g., 'We want success'). It becomes countable when referring to a specific instance or person (e.g., 'The concert was a great success').
'Success' is broader, often involving a favourable outcome or attainment of status/wealth. 'Achievement' is more specific, focusing on something accomplished through effort, often a concrete goal.
Rarely. It is almost always positive. In specific contexts, it might imply undeserved or hollow attainment (e.g., 'His success came at a great cost'), but the word itself remains positive.
Confusing its noun form with the verb 'succeed' (e.g., 'I success in my exam' is wrong; it should be 'I succeeded' or 'I had success').