successful

adjective

suc·​cess·​ful sək-ˈses-fəl 

1

: resulting or terminating in success

a successful attempt

2

: gaining or having gained success

a successful investor

successfully

sək-ˈses-fə-lē 

adverb

successfulness noun

Synonyms of successful

• prosperous
• thriving

Examples of successful in a Sentence

the play had a successful run on Broadway

sold their successful dry-cleaning business and retired to Hawaii

Recent Examples on the Web

Instead, Netflix has expanded its footprint from a (very successful) Christmas Day doubleheader to include Thanksgiving Eve, Week 18 and, this week, the NFL’s first-ever game in Australia. — Dan Shanoff, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Because a successful acquisition shouldn’t be the finish line for a good broker but the starting point. — Lee Kiser, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2026

O’Leary knows the mindset all too well; the successful investor is known both for his brutal honesty and financial wins. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2026

If that’s successful, Stoke hopes to fly multiple Pathfinder missions throughout 2027 and 2028 while Block 2 development and testing continue in parallel. — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 8 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for successful

• distressful
• stressful
• unsuccessful

Kids Definition

successful

adjective

suc·​cess·​ful sək-ˈses-fəl 

1

: resulting or ending in success

2

: gaining or having gained success

successfully

-fə-lē 

adverb

successfulness noun