SUCCESSFUL

Pronunciation (US):

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does successful mean? 

• SUCCESSFUL (adjective)
  The adjective SUCCESSFUL has 1 sense:

1. having succeeded or being marked by a favorable outcome

  Familiarity information: SUCCESSFUL used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SUCCESSFUL (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Having succeeded or being marked by a favorable outcome

Context example:

a successful business venture

Similar:

boffo (resoundingly successful and popular)

booming; flourishing; palmy; prospering; prosperous; roaring; thriving (very lively and profitable)

in (holding office)

made (successful or assured of success)

no-hit (of a game (or the pitching) in which a pitcher allows the opponent no hits)

productive (yielding positive results)

self-made (having achieved success or recognition by your own efforts)

sure-fire (certain to be successful)

triple-crown (unofficial championship title for player who heads the league in batting average and home runs and runs batted in)

triple-crown (of a horse that has won the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes and the Preakness races)

victorious; winning (having won)

Also:

undefeated (victorious)

fortunate (having unexpected good fortune)

productive (producing or capable of producing (especially abundantly))

Attribute:

success (a state of prosperity or fame)

Antonym:

unsuccessful (not successful; having failed or having an unfavorable outcome)

Derivation:

successfulness (the condition of prospering; having good fortune)

 Context examples 

“Biomarkers such as ours that define this asymptomatic period are critical for successful development and application of these therapeutics.”

(Study Points to Possible Blood Test For Memory Decline, Alzheimer’s, NIH)

He soon joined them again, successful, of course; Lady Dalrymple would be most happy to take them home, and would call for them in a few minutes.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

In my life, I have had several surgeries when planets were moving through my twelfth house, just as you do now, and all of those surgeries were successful.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

It is true that I have been generally successful.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

"O that all your song-transmutations were as successful!" she laughed.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

According to the results, the program was successful in predicting structures in unlabeled tissue.

(Scientists teach computers how to analyze brain cells, National Institutes of Health)

She had not the heart to refuse her splendid, successful boy anything, and answered warmly...

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Some viruses have evolved mechanisms to inactivate PKR to promote successful infection.

(dsRNA Induction Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)

Then bring it with you that in all ways the operation is successful.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Even Elizabeth began to fear—not that Bingley was indifferent—but that his sisters would be successful in keeping him away.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)