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

The highly unusual plan prompted an immediate response from California, the most populous state, which held a successful referendum to tilt its map toward Democrats. — Matt Brown, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026

This is a plant that loves crisp evenings, and miniature varieties like toy choy are especially successful this time of year. — Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 17 Sep. 2026

These are two very successful, powerful women, and everyone just wants to push this narrative of beef and controversy and picking teams. — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 17 Sep. 2026

The announcement comes a decade after the festival’s unexpected and sudden demise in the spring of 2018, after a successful 14-edition run that began in 2004. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 17 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