# succeed

/səkˈsid/ (US) · /səksˈiːd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/succeed
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to achieve a goal

verb · CEFR A2

to reach a goal or get the result you wanted after trying hard.

For teachers: to achieve the desired aim or result; to prosper in a specific endeavour.

- After months of practice, she finally succeeded in running a full marathon.
- Despite the initial technical setbacks, the research team succeeded in isolating the specific protein responsible for the reaction.

Usage: The verb is intransitive and typically takes the preposition 'in' followed by a noun or gerund.

### 2. to follow in a job

verb · CEFR B2 · Formal

to take over a job or position after the person before you leaves.

For teachers: to take over an office, title, or position from a predecessor.

- The vice president will succeed the president if he decides to retire early.
- Upon the sudden abdication of his father, the young prince was forced to succeed to the throne during a period of intense political instability.

Usage: Can be used transitively (succeed someone) or intransitively with 'to' (succeed to the throne).

### 3. to come after in time

verb · CEFR C1 · Academic · Formal

to happen or come after something else in a series.

For teachers: to follow something in a sequence, order, or time.

- A period of heavy rain succeeded the long, dry summer.
- The collapse of the central government was succeeded by a decade of fragmented rule by local warlords.

Usage: Often used in the passive voice or in historical contexts to describe chronological order.

## Examples

- If you work hard, you will succeed.
- The team worked through the night to ensure the product launch would succeed despite the technical issues.
- While many startups fail within their first year, those that succeed often do so by identifying a niche market that larger competitors have overlooked.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.