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

And sometimes, successful press and influencer events can be a pipeline for consumer events that look to replicate what worked for a broader audience, as was the case with Garnier’s Casita de Curls event hosted by ABMC. — Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026

And Widow’s Bay was, of course, very successful at alternating between scary and funny bits. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026

Another impending free agent, the pitching guru oversaw one of baseball’s best rotations and that aforementioned surprisingly successful bullpen. — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026

Researchers listed consistent attendance among the factors behind successful programs. — Lina Ruiz october 8, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Oct. 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