success

noun

suc·​cess sək-ˈses How to pronounce success (audio)
Synonyms of success
1
a
: degree or measure of succeeding
promoted the new book with limited success
The success of wildlife sanctuaries depends on how people feel about them.—Kathryn R. Satterfield
b
: favorable or desired outcome
At Cedar Creek, the men who raise endangered frogs have a success rate much higher than … counterparts in zoos …—Beth Schwartzapfel
c
: the attainment of wealth, favor, or eminence
Their success on the Olympic stage is a point of pride.—Will Graves
2
: someone or something that succeeds
one of her many successes [=one of many things she has done successfully]
The play was an immediate success.
3
obsolete : outcome, result

Synonyms of success

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Examples of success in a Sentence

An enormous popular and critical success, The Liars' Club was credited with (or blamed for) launching a new wave of memoir-writing. (Karr deflects this accusation: "I think memoir started with St. Augustine," she told Salon in 1997.) —Mollie Wilson O'Reilly, Commonweal, 23 Oct. 2009
Fred tries to keep up his end of the conversation, but without much success; he has never grown bulbs, cooked veal, seen a film by Fassbinder, etc. He feels provincial and out of it … —Alison Lurie, Foreign Affairs, 2006
Since I was interested in finding out about the successes as well as the failures disabled women experience in the world, I interviewed women who had some work experience, although it was often part-time work and sometimes interrupted. —Mary Grimley Mason, Working Against Odds, 2004
The necessaries of life for man in this climate may, accurately enough, be distributed under the several heads of Food, Shelter, Clothing, and Fuel; for not till we have secured these are we prepared to entertain the true problems of life with freedom and a prospect of success. —Henry David Thoreau, Walden, 1854
Success came easily to him. She is country music's most recent success. The growth of the tourism industry is one of the city's great successes.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In California…there has been little success in restraining these abuses over the past decade. — Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 5 July 2026 Those ideas are made even more impressive because of the improbability of the struggle, the odds against success. — Drew Pittock, USA Today, 5 July 2026 But translating that club success to something that permeates into the fabric of the sport back home requires a bigger moment — or movement. — Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 5 July 2026 So far, the Democratic Socialists of America’s success has been confined in large part to deep-blue city districts. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for success

Word History

Etymology

Latin successus, from succedere — see succeed

First Known Use

1537, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of success was in 1537

Phrases Containing success

Rhymes for success

See All Rhymes for success

Browse Nearby Words

succès fou
success
successful
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Success.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/success. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

success

noun
suc·​cess sək-ˈses How to pronounce success (audio)
1
a
: degree or measure of succeeding
b
: satisfactory completion of something
c
: the gaining of wealth, respect, or fame
2
: a person or thing that succeeds

More from Merriam-Webster on success

Nglish: Translation of success for Spanish Speakers

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