successes

IPA/səkˈses/
KK[səksˈɛsəz]IPA/səkˈses/

successes — noun

  • successessingular
  • successesesplural

1. the condition of achieving what you wanted or planned to achieve

1.nounA2
Definition

the condition of achieving what you wanted or planned to achieve

Example

After three years of training, Caio finally found success as a professional chef.

found success as + profession/role

The success of the project depended on everyone working together as a team.

success of + noun phrase

Common collocations
  • achieve success
  • find success
  • success in
  • key to success
  • road to success
  • dream of success
Synonyms
  • achievement

    focuses on reaching a specific goal through effort; 'Climbing the mountain was a great achievement.'

  • accomplishment

    emphasises completing something difficult; 'Earning her degree was a real accomplishment.'

  • triumph

    suggests victory after overcoming obstacles; often stronger and more dramatic than success.

Antonyms
  • failure

    the opposite of achieving a goal; 'The project ended in failure.'

Grammar Patterns

uncountable — no plural form

Usage Note

This sense is uncountable — it has no plural form. Common in fixed phrases such as 'the key to success', 'the road to success', and 'success in [a field].'

Common Mistakes

I hope you have many successes in your new job' (when meaning general achievement).
I hope you have success in your new job.
'success' is uncountable when referring to achievement in general; use the plural 'successes' only for countable individual achievements.

2. a person or thing that becomes popular, wealthy, or achieves what was intended —

2.nounB1
Definition

a person or thing that becomes popular, wealthy, or achieves what was intended — for example, a hit movie, a bestselling book, or someone who rises to the top of their field.

Example

The school play was a huge success, with every seat filled on opening night.

a huge success

Kemi's first novel became an overnight success and sold thousands of copies.

overnight success

Common collocations
  • huge success
  • overnight success
  • make a success of
  • celebrate successes
  • great success
Synonyms
  • hit

    informal; used for movies, songs, or products that are very popular; 'The album was a huge hit.'

  • winner

    informal; a person or thing that is very likely to succeed; 'The design is a winner.'

  • triumph

    a notable success achieved after difficulty; 'The vaccine was a scientific triumph.'

Antonyms
  • failure

    a person or thing that does not succeed; 'The product was a commercial failure.'

  • flop

    informal; especially of entertainment; 'The movie was a box-office flop.'

Grammar Patterns

countable — plural form: successes

Usage Note

This sense is countable — the plural form is 'successes'. The pattern 'make a success of [something]' means to cause it to succeed. 'Overnight success' describes a person or thing that becomes successful very quickly, though the phrase is often ironic since most successes take years of effort.

Common Mistakes

He is a big success in developing the app' (vague).
He made a big success of the app.
'make a success of + object' is the standard countable pattern.
There are many success in the company.
There are many successes in the company.
when referring to individual achievements or successful things, use the plural 'successes'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Success, achievement, accomplishment, and triumph all describe positive results, but they differ in scope and emphasis. Success is the broadest and most neutral term — it simply means reaching a desired goal, whether large or small ('finishing the project on time was a success'). Achievement emphasises the effort, skill, or courage needed to reach a difficult goal ('winning the gold medal was a great achievement'). Accomplishment focuses on completing something complex, such as earning a degree or finishing a long-term task, and often carries a sense of personal pride. Triumph is the strongest of the four — it suggests a victory won against significant odds, often with public recognition ('the discovery was a scientific triumph'). For everyday use, success and achievement are the safest choices; use accomplishment for tasks that required sustained effort, and reserve triumph for major victories.

achievement ↗accomplishment ↗triumph ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • key to success
  • secret of success
  • road to success
  • measure of success
  • taste of success

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'success' entered English through French from the Latin word successus, which meant 'a coming up, an advance, a good result.' The Latin verb succedere combined sub- ('up to') and cedere ('to go, move'), so the original sense was 'to go up to' or 'to follow after.' In its earliest English use (16th century), success could mean any outcome — good or bad. By the late 1500s, it had narrowed to mean only a favorable result, which is the meaning we use today.

First known use

1537

1537, in the meaning defined at sense 3