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

Business owners, lawyers, physicians, an Oscar winner, an award-winning fiction author, and a successful character actor. — Arkansas Online, 6 Nov. 2026

His horticultural business, Flamingo, became one of Kenya's most successful, providing the foundation for what would become the Hemingways hospitality empire. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Nov. 2026

The team recently completed a successful demonstration involving live 60mm mortar rounds. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2026

Donalds appears to be the one successful candidate out of Minaj’s picks. — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 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