Succeed is a verb meaning to achieve the desired aim or result, often after effort or planning. It denotes reaching a positive outcome or reaching a goal. In usage, it can describe personal success, project outcomes, or favorable results that meet expectations, typically implying persistence or appropriate timing.
"She studied for months and finally succeeded in passing the professional exam."
"The project succeeded because the team coordinated well and stayed on schedule."
"Despite early setbacks, the company succeeded in launching the product on time."
"If you keep practicing, you’re likely to succeed in mastering the technique."
Succeed comes from the Old French succeedre, from late Latin successus, from succedere meaning ‘to come after, to go up to, to follow after.’ The Latin root is sub- ‘under’ + cadere ‘to fall’ in a sense of ‘to fall into standing after,’ though the semantic shift makes it mean to attain a desired result rather than to come after. In English, succeed began serving intransitive meanings like ‘to turn out well’ during Middle English, with proliferating senses tied to achieving goals and outcomes. By the 15th century, its usage had broadened to include both personal achievement and favorable results of efforts, while idioms such as “succeed in” became common. The verb also contributed to noun forms like “success” and related adjectives like “successful.” Historically, the word tracks the English preference for outcome-oriented verbs in a world of effort and result, aligning with Germanic and Romance language blending during the medieval period.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Succeed" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Succeed"
-eed sounds
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Pronounced /səkˈsiːd/ (US/UK/AU). The first syllable is a short, unstressed “suh” sound (ə) leading into the stressed second syllable “seed” /siːd/. The primary stress sits on the second syllable. Tip: make a clean transition from /k/ into /s/ to avoid a cluster blend; keep the tongue high for the long /iː/ vowel in the second syllable. Record yourself comparing with native models to confirm the /sə/ -> /kˈsiːd/ flow.
Common errors include misplacing stress (suh-KSEED vs. SUH-kuh-SEED), reducing the /siː/ to a short /sɪ/ or /si/ and mispronouncing the /k/ transition. Another frequent mistake is trailing into a clipped /d/ or not elongating the long /iː/ before the final /d/. Correct by emphasizing the /siː/ with a steady, long vowel and ensuring a crisp /d/ at the end, while maintaining the weak first syllable as unstressed /sə/.
In General American, the /ə/ in the first syllable remains unstressed and the /siːd/ portion carries the main stress as /səkˈsiːd/. In UK English, you’ll similarly have /səkˈsiːd/, but vowel quality may be a tad more clipped and the /ɪ/ in the unstressed syllable might be slightly reduced depending on speaker. Australian English aligns closely with UK but can show slightly more centralization of the first syllable and a brighter, longer /iː/ in the second syllable with subtle vowel tilt. Rhoticity is not relevant here as there is no /r/ in the word.
The difficulty lies in the two-syllable rhythm with a strong secondary unstressed first syllable followed by a stressed long /iːd/. You must coordinate a quick onset cluster from /k/ into /s/ and hold the long vowel /iː/ before the final /d/. Learners often mispronounce as /ˈsɛkjuːd/ or drop the long /iː/ sound, leading to an inaccurate vowel. Focus on maintaining a clear affricate-like /k/ into /s/ and a sustained /iː/ with precise final /d/ articulation.
The word features a predictable yet crucial stress pattern: the primary stress on the second syllable, /səkˈsiːd/. This contrasts with many two-syllable verbs that carry stress on the first syllable. You’ll benefit from a light, unstressed first syllable and a firm, elongated second-syllable nucleus. Misplacing the primary stress or rushing the /iː/ can flatten the meaning. Practice with a slow tempo to sculpt the stress contour before speeding up.
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