English Dictionary
Definition of “success”
success (səkˈsɛs
)
Definitions
noun
- the favourable outcome of something attempted
- the attainment of wealth, fame, etc
- an action, performance, etc, that is characterized by success
- a person or thing that is successful
- obsolete any outcome
Alternative Forms
sucˈcessless adjective Word Origin
C16: from Latin successus an outcome, from succēdere to succeed
Synonyms
View thesaurus entry
=
prosperity,
riches,
fortune,
luck,
wealth,
fame,
eminence,
ascendancy,
affluence,
opulence,
=
hit,
winner,
smash,
triumph,
belter,
sensation,
sell-out,
wow,
best seller
market leader,
smash hit,
box office success
Quotations
"Eighty percent of success is showing up"
Woody Allen"It is not enough to succeed. Others must fail"
Gore Vidal"Failure is inevitable. Success is elusive"
Steven Spielberg"Getting on is the opium of the middle classes"
Walter James"To succeed in the world we must look foolish but be wise"
C.L. de Montesquieu"Success has ruin'd many a man"
Benjamin Franklin"The road to success is full of women pushing their husbands along"
Lord Thomas Dewar"The moral flabbiness born of the exclusive worship of the bitch-goddess success"
William James"The secret of business success is honesty and sincerity. If you can fake those, you've got it made"
attributed to Groucho Marx"If A is success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z. Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut"
Albert Einstein"Success is relative;It is what we can make of the mess we have made of things"
T.S. Eliot"success: the one unpardonable sin against one's fellows"
Ambrose Bierce"Be nice to people on your way up because you'll meet 'em on your way down"
Wilson Mizner"Nothing succeeds like success"
"There is always room at the top"
Translations
- British English:
success
Success is the achievement of something you have wanted to achieve.Work was the key to success.səkˈsɛs NOUN Work was the key to success.
- Spanish:
éxito
nm
- French:
réussite
nf
- German:
Erfolg
nm
- Chinese: 成功 n
- Arabic: نـَجَاح n
- Portuguese: sucesso nm
- Russian: успех nm
- Croatian: uspjeh nm
- Czech: úspěch nm
- Danish: succes nutr
- Dutch: succes nnt
- Finnish: menestys n
- Greek: επιτυχία nf
- Italian: successo nm
- Japanese: 成功 n
- Korean: 성공 n
- Norwegian: suksess nm
- Polish: sukces nm
- Brazilian Portuguese: sucesso nm
- European Spanish:
éxito
nm
- Swedish: framgång nutr
- Thai: ความสำเร็จ n
- Turkish: başarı n
- Vietnamese: sự thành công n
Usage examples
Nathan had been searching for Woody again, still without success.
Amanda Hemingway, THE GREENSTONE GRAIL: The Sangreal Trilogy One (2004)It is one of those rare books that transcends classification: a sport of nature, a singular success.
Country Life (2004)The defence drive also stems from Beijing's dismay over US military success abroad in the last decade.
Irish Times (2002)At its most superficial level, Irwin's honesty is apparent in the singer's success in avoiding the pitfalls of over-expression.
Glasgow Herald (2001)The success of this myth, however, lies in the way two insects are made the carriers of a metaphysical belief.
James Cowan, ABORIGINE DREAMING: Introduction to the Wisdom and Thought of the Aboriginal Traditions of Australia (2002)
