Succeed Past Tense: What It Is and How To Use It

Do you know the definition of succeed? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on the word succeed, including its definition, etymology, usage, example sentences, and more!

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What does the word succeed mean?

According to Collins English Dictionary and the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, the word succeed is a verb that means either to achieve something, or to be the next person in line for a job or position. 

The present tense of succeed is succeed. The present participle tense and past participle of the word succeed is succeeding. The past tense of succeed is succeeded. This is the past simple tense. The past perfect tense of succeed was had succeeded. The future tense of succeed is will succeed.

Many different languages also contain words that mean succeed. You may notice that many of these translations of succeed look and sound similar to the word succeed itself. These are called cognates, which are words of different languages that look and sound alike while also retaining a similar meaning. These are often formed when two words or languages have the same root or language of origin. This list of translations of the word succeed is provided by Word Sense.

  •  Mandarin: 成功‎ (chénggōng)
  •  Finnish: menestyä‎, onnistua‎
  •  Slovene: uspeti‎
  •  Catalan: reeixir‎
  •  Maori: tutuki‎
  •  Italian: riuscire‎
  •  Spanish: conseguir‎
  •  Portuguese: ter/obter sucesso/êxito‎, conseguir‎
  •  Romanian: reuși‎
  •  Swedish: lyckas‎
  •  Esperanto: sukcesi‎
  •  Russian: преуспе́ть‎, (imperfective) достига́ть це́ли‎, (perfective) дости́чь це́ли‎
  •  Swahili: fanikiwa‎
  •  Arabic: نَجَحَ‎
  •  German: erfolgreich sein, Erfolg haben
  •  French: réussir‎, avoir du succès‎
  •  Sorani: سه‌رکه‌وتن‎ (sarkawtin)
  •  Latin: succedo‎
  •  Norman: rêussi‎
  •  Japanese: 成功する‎ (せいこうする, seikō-suru)
  •  Hebrew: הִצְלִיחַ‎ (hitzlíaḥ), עָשָׂה חַיִל‎ (‘asá ḥáyil)
  •  Czech: uspět‎
  •  Hungarian: sikerül‎

What are synonyms and antonyms of succeed?

There are many different words and phrases that a person can choose to use in place of the word succeed. These are called synonyms, which are defined as words and phrases with the same definition as another word or phrase. Learning synonyms is a great way to expand your English vocabulary and avoid repeating yourself. This list of synonyms of succeed is from Power Thesaurus.

  •  carry the day
  •  thrive
  •  win
  •  succeeded
  •  bring off
  •  succeeding
  •  complete
  •  manage
  •  attain
  •  pan out
  •  be efficacious
  •  make a name for oneself
  •  hack it
  •  go places
  •  win out
  •  be a success
  •  turn out well
  •  get on
  •  ensue
  •  achievement
  •  conquer
  •  advance
  •  come through
  •  develop
  •  burgeon
  •  obtain
  •  supersede
  •  supervene
  •  come after
  •  successes
  •  assume
  •  deliver the goods
  •  be effective
  •  conclude
  •  followed
  •  do the trick
  •  prosper
  •  achieve
  •  make progress
  •  replace
  •  worked
  •  work
  •  triumph
  •  be successful
  •  flourish
  •  get somewhere
  •  come out on top
  •  come off
  •  find a place in the sun
  •  follow
  •  result
  •  accomplish
  •  prevail
  •  be certified
  •  make a go of it
  •  carry off
  •  beat
  •  progress
  •  pass
  •  pay off
  •  take
  •  arrive
  •  pull off
  •  do well
  •  be the winner
  •  replacing
  •  fare well
  •  occur
  •  get ahead
  •  achieve success
  •  qualify
  •  be victorious
  •  winning
  •  make it
  •  click
  •  operate
  •  bloom
  •  produce
  •  acquire
  •  be licensed
  •  inherit
  •  do all right for oneself
  •  be a hit
  •  overcome
  •  carry out
  •  make it big
  •  go far
  •  work out
  •  reach
  •  boom
  •  reach the top
  •  cut it
  •  displace
  •  supplant
  •  arriving
  •  gain
  •  make good
  •  blossom
  •  happen
  •  make the grade

There are also many different words that have the opposite meaning as the word succeed. These opposite words are called antonyms, which are another quick and easy way to expand your English language vocabulary. This list of antonyms is also provided by Power Thesaurus

  • ​​be beaten in the fight
  •  be beaten
  •  be outdistanced
  •  be nugatory
  •  lose out
  •  be defeated in a contest
  •  be defeated
  •  be ineffectual
  •  be defeated in a competition
  •  be taken to cleaners
  •  be unsuccessful
  •  be the loser in the game
  •  not come up to scratch
  •  be ineffective
  •  have trouble
  •  flatline
  •  flop
  •  be conquered
  •  be without success
  •  collapse
  •  be worsted
  •  be beaten in the competition
  •  come off second-best
  •  fall flat
  •  be in vain
  •  be bested by
  •  founder
  •  go under
  •  misfire
  •  meet one’s waterloo
  •  meet with disaster
  •  be trounced
  •  miss the mark
  •  be abortive
  •  decline
  •  blow up in someone’s face
  •  neglect
  •  be beaten in the battle
  •  fold
  •  fail
  •  be the loser
  •  miss
  •  lack success
  •  run aground
  •  come a cropper
  •  go astray
  •  lose
  •  bomb
  •  flunk
  •  be inefficacious
  •  be beaten in the round
  •  come to grief
  •  be useless
  •  get the worst
  •  fall
  •  go down like a lead balloon
  •  bungle
  •  abort
  •  flounder
  •  be worthless
  •  be the loser of a game
  •  go down
  •  not succeed
  •  bite the dust
  •  have the worst
  •  be beaten in the contest
  •  be fruitless
  •  be defeated in a match
  •  precede
  •  fizzle out
  •  be sunk
  •  be beaten in the game
  •  take a licking
  •  be humbled
  •  break down
  •  suffer defeat
  •  be profitless
  •  be failed
  •  be defeated in a game
  •  be beaten in the match
  •  come last
  •  be unavailing
  •  be a failure
  •  come to naught
  •  lose the game
  •  be vain
  •  fall through
  •  be beaten in the tournament
  •  backfire
  •  miscarry
  •  be unsuccessful in
  •  be misfired
  •  be vanquished
  •  lose a game
  •  come to nothing
  •  be unproductive
  •  be frustrated
  •  be pointless
  •  be futile
  •  be defeated in the game

How can the word succeed be used in a sentence?

There are many different ways in which the word succeed can be used in a sentence in the English language. Using words in a sentence is a fantastic way to familiarize yourself with their definitions and add them to your vocabulary. You can also try making flashcards or a quiz for yourself to test your knowledge of the definitions of different words. Try using this new word of the day in a sentence today! Below are a couple of different examples of using the word succeed in a sentence to help get your started.

Anderson succeeded Mohammed IV as President of the Board of the Join MacMillan Dictionary.

Turkey ’s Sultan Ibrahim succeeded in becoming famous on Twitter and Facebook for language news. He shared daily word facts and related words so people around the world could learn English grammar. 

Sam and Miriam Jackson succeeded Rondell to the throne of Europe. 

Overall, the word succeed means either to achieve or to come after.

Sources:

  1. Succeed definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary 
  2. succeed: meaning, origin, translation | Word Sense 
  3. Succeed synonyms – 1 846 Words and Phrases for Succeed | Power Thesaurus 
  4. Succeed antonyms – 793 Opposites of Succeed | Power Thesaurus