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

Unlike other successful launches, the incident appears to have been downplayed on China’s state media with scant mention of the explosion. — Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026

This will be his fourth full season, following Aston Villa’s most successful, which ended with a second Champions League qualification within three years and, most gloriously, Europa League triumph. — Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026

Each one went into the coaching profession, where each has become a successful head coach. — Stan Awtrey, AJC.com, 11 Aug. 2026

After all, not every moviegoer will want to pay a higher price for that kind of experience, and some movies still can be successful without an opening weekend in Imax. — Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 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