1
as in prosperous
having attained a desired end or state of good fortune
the play had a successful run on Broadway
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in thriving
marked by vigorous growth and well-being especially economically
sold their successful dry-cleaning business and retired to Hawaii
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of successful
Madonna and Sean Penn (1985) Less successful in maintaining their privacy were Madonna and Sean Penn, who married on August 16, 1985—her 27th birthday and a day before his 25th.
—
Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 13 Apr. 2026
Artemis 1 and Artemis 2 were successful, after all, and the ball is already rolling on Artemis 3.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 13 Apr. 2026
And giving McIlroy that chance has compounded into one of the most successful golf careers in history.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2026
After successful surgery, the Braunsteins took Elly for periodic checkups.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for successful
Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 13 Apr. 2026
Artemis 1 and Artemis 2 were successful, after all, and the ball is already rolling on Artemis 3.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 13 Apr. 2026
And giving McIlroy that chance has compounded into one of the most successful golf careers in history.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2026
After successful surgery, the Braunsteins took Elly for periodic checkups.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for successful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for successful
Adjective
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Different cities succeed by different measures, but a robust infrastructure, a strong sense of identity, a vibrant cultural scene and a prosperous economy are necessary for any successful modern metropolis.—
Mina Al-Oraibi,
Time,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Conference rooms were identified by the names of other, more prosperous cities—London, Brussels.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The result is wage compression at the bottom and explosive wealth creation at the top — with the upper-middle class caught awkwardly in between, statistically thriving but existentially anxious.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
12 Apr. 2026
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Greece had a thriving philosophical tradition before Socrates, but only fragments survive; almost all our knowledge stems from later accounts, a history written by the winners.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The sound box had a teardrop shape, just a couple of inches deep, with a golden-brown polyurethane finish that darkened to black at the edges.—
Tim Parks,
New Yorker,
11 Apr. 2026
-
But when Willy floats into a conversation with Ben or experiences a memory of Biff’s high-school glory days, golden light floods the stage through a high bank of dirty windows.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Successful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/successful. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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