Word family noun success succession successor adjective successful ≠ unsuccessful successive verb succeed adverb successfully ≠ unsuccessfully
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishsuccesssuc‧cess /səkˈses/ ●●● S1 W1 noun [countable, uncountable] 1 SUCCEED IN DOING somethingwhen you achieve what you want or intend OPP failure The experiment was a big success.without success I tried to contact him, but without success.success in doing something Did you have any success in persuading Alan to come?2 when a lot of people like something, buy something, go to see something etc OPP failurebe a big/huge/great etc success The film was a great success. Her book has enjoyed a lot of success (=it has been very successful). The play was a box-office success (=many people went to see it). The show was an overnight success (=it was immediately successful).3 when someone achieves a high position in their job, on a course, in a sport, in society etc OPP failure Success isn’t everything, you know.success in He has already had a lot of success in his career.be a success as a ... (=be successful in a particular job) She wasn’t much of a success as a lawyer. She’s determined to make a success of (=be successful in) her career.4 when a business makes a lot of money OPP failure the success of his latest business venturebe a big/huge/great etc success The firm wasn’t a great success.5 → success storyCOLLOCATIONSadjectivesa great successEveryone agreed the picnic was a great success.a big/huge/major successThe government claimed the policy was a major success.a resounding/outstanding/spectacular success (=very great success)Financially, the event was a resounding success.great/considerable successThis plant can be grown by the absolute beginner with great success.some successThe group is already achieving some success.little/no successAttempts to resolve the dispute met with little success.limited success (=not very much success)The attempt to replace coca with other crops has had only limited success.commercial/economic/financial successNone of his ideas had any commercial success.academic success (=success in education)There is no evidence that early teaching of reading leads to academic success.electoral success (=success in elections)The electoral success of the far right understandably fills many people in Europe with alarm.military successThis military success was achieved at a cost.verbshave/achieve successChina has had considerable success in conserving water since 1983.meet with success (=be successful)We are disappointed that this round of negotiations has not met with success.put your success down to something (=say that your success was the result of it)They put their success down to their excellent teamwork.phrasessomebody’s chance of successThey have a good chance of success.the secret of somebody’s success (=what makes them successful)A visitor asked Connie the secret of her success with growing roses.the success rate (=what percentage of actions are successful)The success rate in cloning is still extremely low.COMMON ERRORS ► Don’t say ‘make success’ or ‘make a success’. Say have success or achieve success. Examples from the Corpus
success• Success in business depends on hard work, determination, and good ideas.• Even after Food and Drug Administration approval, success is far from certain.• With a such a strong team, France are heading for certain success.• their fourth success in a row• In his diaries he looks forward to future success, but it was his artistic success that he sought before financial security.• The concert was a great success.• This year's children's party - to which parents were also invited - was a great success.• Many first-class students go on to have even greater success.• The book was an immediate success.• Of course, I knew my success would cause resentment.• The president believed that his approach was the only one with any chance of success.• These approaches produced successes, and the subfield of expert systems became commercially viable.• After her recent successes in Tokyo and New York, Bjork has returned to perform in England.• Critics have been astonished at the film's success.• It was the reason he had poured so much effort, care and attention into ensuring the joke's success.• Auster was surprised at the success of his latest novel.• The unprecedented success of Mitchell's work inspired a generation of writers.success in doing something• Biofeedback techniques have also been used with a moderate degree of success in some patients.• How much is success in campaigning related to success in being president?• In five years we've had a record of seven percent success in any enquiry involving the Regal Arms.• It was his success in mobilizing men, arms, ships, and provisions which was most characteristic of Peter's reign.• It will link the income of hospitals to their success in attracting patients.• May I wish you every success in your new job.• Murfreesboro has enjoyed economic success in recent years.• Would he have proved such a success in San Francisco?success in• Would he have proved such a success in San Francisco?• Murfreesboro has enjoyed economic success in recent years.• May I wish you every success in your new job.• Despite his success in Hollywood, Tartikoff did not enjoy great happiness in life.• It was his success in mobilizing men, arms, ships, and provisions which was most characteristic of Peter's reign.• How much is success in campaigning related to success in being president?• Biofeedback techniques have also been used with a moderate degree of success in some patients.• In five years we've had a record of seven percent success in any enquiry involving the Regal Arms.• It will link the income of hospitals to their success in attracting patients.be a big/huge/great etc success• By any standards, the conifers are a great success.• The event was a great success and there were 120 entrants from throughout the Northern region.• In 1979 we held the United Kingdom's first showbiz-style election rally for Mrs Thatcher, and it was a great success.• The opera was finally performed in July, and despite some organized opposition, it was a great success.• It was a big success in an industry in which prices have remained low, and it forced others to follow suit.• But to Loi the meal was a huge success.• The photographic mapping of the accessible half of Mercury was a great success.• They ran their own open day for local businesses, which was a great success.Origin success (1500-1600) Latin past participle of succedere; → SUCCEED 