Word
succeed
Phoneticssuc·ceed
US/səkˈsid/
UK/səksˈiːd/
Definitions
01to achieve a goal
v. to reach a goal or get the result you wanted after trying hard.
v. 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.
Pitfall
He succeeded to pass the exam.
He succeeded in passing the exam.
The verb 'succeed' is followed by the preposition 'in' and a gerund (-ing form), not an infinitive.
02to follow in a job
v. to take over a job or position after the person before you leaves.
v. 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.”
Formal
Usage
Can be used transitively (succeed someone) or intransitively with 'to' (succeed to the throne).
Antonyms
03to come after in time
v. to happen or come after something else in a series.
v. 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.”
Academic · Formal
Usage
Often used in the passive voice or in historical contexts to describe chronological order.
Etymology
From Old French succeder, from Latin succedere (“to go under, go from under, come under, approach, follow, take the place of, receive by succession, prosper, be successful”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
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englishreference.com/q/succeed