Success | Definition of success by Merriam-Webster

Full Definition of SUCCESS

1

obsolete : outcome, result

2

a : degree or measure of succeeding

b : favorable or desired outcome; also : the attainment of wealth, favor, or eminence

3

: one that succeeds

See success defined for English-language learners

See success defined for kids

Examples of SUCCESS

An enormous popular and critical success, The Liars' Club was credited with (or blamed for) launching a new wave of memoir-writing. (Karr deflects this accusation: “I think memoir started with St. Augustine,” she told Salon in 1997.) —Mollie Wilson O'Reilly, Commonweal, 23 Oct. 2009
Fred tries to keep up his end of the conversation, but without much success; he has never grown bulbs, cooked veal, seen a film by Fassbinder, etc. He feels provincial and out of it … —Alison Lurie,Foreign Affairs, 2006
Since I was interested in finding out about the successes as well as the failures disabled women experience in the world, I interviewed women who had some work experience, although it was often part-time work and sometimes interrupted. —Mary Grimley Mason, Working Against Odds, 2004
The necessaries of life for man in this climate may, accurately enough, be distributed under the several heads of Food, Shelter, Clothing, and Fuel; for not till we have secured these are we prepared to entertain the true problems of life with freedom and a prospect of success. —Henry David Thoreau, Walden, 1854
[+]more [-]hide

Origin of SUCCESS

Latin successus, from succedere (see succeed)

First Known Use: 1537

Related to SUCCESS

Synonyms: blockbuster, megahit, smash, hit, supernova, winner

Antonyms: bomb, bummer, bust, catastrophe, clinker, debacle (also débâcle), dud, failure, fiasco, flop, misfire, turkey, washout

Rhymes with SUCCESS

abscess, access, address, aggress, assess, bench-press, caress, clothespress, coatdress, cold-press, compress, confess, cross-dress, CS, depress, de-stress, digress, distress, drill press, egress, excess, express, finesse, fluoresce, French press, full-dress, handpress, headdress, housedress, idlesse, impress, ingress, Meknes, much less, nightdress, noblesse, no less, obsess, oppress, outguess, possess, precess, prestress, princess, process, profess, progress, recess, redress, regress, re-press, repress, shirtdress, side-dress, SS, sundress, suppress, tendresse, top-dress, transgress, undress, unless, web press, winepress, word stress

Definition of SUCCESS for Kids

1

: satisfactory completion of something <But you must, when you are calculating the odds of the mouse's success, factor in his love for the princess. — Kate DiCamillo, The Tale of Despereaux>

2

: the gaining of wealth, respect, or fame

3

: a person or thing that succeeds <The show was a success.>