Word family noun success succession successor adjective successful ≠ unsuccessful successive verb succeed adverb successfully ≠ unsuccessfully
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishsucceedsuc‧ceed /səkˈsiːd/ ●●● S3 W2 verb 1 [intransitive]SUCCEED IN DOING something to do what you tried or wanted to do She wanted to be the first woman to climb Mount Everest, and she almost succeeded.succeed in doing something Scientists claim they have succeeded in finding a cure for cancer. Very few people succeed in losing weight and keeping it off.RegisterIn everyday English, people often say they manage to do something rather than succeed in doing something:Eventually I managed to get the lid back on the box.Grammar• You succeed in doing something: She succeeded in persuading him. ✗Don’t say: She succeeded to persuade him.• You can also use succeed on its own: I hope you succeed.• Succeed is not used transitively in this meaning. ✗Don’t say: I hope you succeed it. 2 [intransitive]SUCCEED IN DOING something to have the result or effect something was intended to have Unfortunately his plan did not succeed.RegisterIn everyday English, people often say that a method or treatment works rather than succeeds:We tried rebooting the computer, but that didn’t work.3 [intransitive]SUCCESSFUL to do well in your job, especially because you have worked hard at it for a long timesucceed as I’m not sure he has the determination to succeed as an actor.succeed in a woman who succeeded in politics4 [intransitive, transitive]AFTER to be the next person to take a position or job after someone elsesucceed somebody as something Reeves will succeed Segal as Speaker of the House.succeed somebody to the throne (=to be the next king or queen after someone else) Who will succeed him to the throne?5 [transitive]REPLACE to come after or replace something else, especially another product This car is intended to succeed the popular Fiesta. 6 → nothing succeeds like success7 → only succeed in doing somethingTHESAURUSsucceed in doing somethingsucceed verb [intransitive] to do something you tried or wanted to doWill they succeed in winning the election?He wanted to make her jealous, and he succeeded.manage verb [intransitive] to succeed in doing something difficult, after trying hard. Manage to do something is very commonly used instead of succeed in doing something in everyday EnglishHe finally managed to find an apartment near his office.Don’t worry – I’m sure we’ll manage somehow.achieve verb [transitive] to succeed in doing something good or importantShe’s achieved a lot in the short time she’s been with the company.If we are to achieve our goals, we have to plan properly.accomplish verb [transitive] formal to achieve somethingThe government accomplished its objective of reducing violent crime.What do you hope to accomplish this year?make it to be successful in your career, or to succeed in reaching a place or part of a competitionOnly a few people make it to the top and become professional singers.We finally made it to Chicago.Which two teams will make it to the final?pull off phrasal verb to succeed in doing something, especially when you could easily have not succeeded. Pull off sounds rather informalItaly pulled off a great victory over Germany.I’d never performed on my own before, and wasn’t sure if I could pull it off. → See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
succeed• I tried to reassure Billy's mother that it was a passing phase, but I don't think I succeeded.• People who have had setbacks are often the ones who are really driven to succeed.• a strong desire to succeed• She wanted to be the first woman to climb Mount Everest and she almost succeeded.• Some of these women took grave risks to start their businesses and faced even more danger when they succeeded.• As long as the financial crisis continues, economic reform cannot possibly succeed.• Even in remote areas people open restaurants, and surprisingly enough, they succeed.• If you don't change your attitude, you will never succeed as a manager in this firm.• I admired Goldie, because she had succeeded at a task that had even defeated my mother.• My parents always told me I'd succeed at anything I chose to do.• She succeeds Bonnie Fuller who will join Cosmopolitan as deputy editor.• Eisenhower was succeeded by John F. Kennedy.• Both sides could make these talks succeed by seeking a real and lasting peace.• Bailey will succeed Fuller as Director of Operations.• George VI died in 1952, leaving his elder daughter Elizabeth to succeed him.• I'm sure you'll succeed if you work hard.• A lot of people doubted that I could succeed in business for myself.• In one year, we've succeeded in increasing profits by 40%.• None of the measures taken by the government have succeeded in reducing the spread of violent crime.• If you can succeed in school, you can succeed in life.• Choose varieties which will succeed in your area, and which are on a rootstock to give the desired rate of growth.• If it succeeds, it may deter at least some outrages in a future war.• By the early '90s, CDs had succeeded records in popularity.• Mr Grant, who lives near Dingwall, will succeed Robert Crawford.• If the project succeeds, the choice is between making and marketing the product or abandoning it.• Louis XIII succeeded to the throne when he was only nine years old.• Muir succeeds where other designers have failed -- her clothes are original, yet stylish.succeed in doing something• Affliction succeeds in taking the detailing associated with Raymond Carver-style dirty realism and fusing it with the pace of a detective story.• And such fathers are more likely to support the opportunity for their wives to succeed in the workplace.• But his defence does not succeed in overcoming the problems mentioned in the previous section.• If Borderers fail in division four, their men will certainly succeed in men's division two.• If some choose to free-ride, the group will be just as likely to succeed in their efforts.• If you can learn, you can succeed in school.• Using 20,000 volunteers, it succeeded in linking 3,500 schools in the state to the global computer network.• We shall see how much or how little of local nuances it succeeded in conveying to the top authorities.succeed as• Nobody thought he would ever succeed as an artist.succeed somebody as something• Wolcott will succeed Dr. Johansen as director of the museum.Origin succeed (1300-1400) Latin succedere “to go up, follow after, succeed”, from sub- “near” + cedere “to go” 