follow, succeed, ensue, supervene mean to come after something or someone. follow may apply to a coming after in time, position, or logical sequence. succeed implies a coming after immediately in a sequence determined by natural order, inheritance, election, or laws of rank.
Idiom if at first you don't succeed, try, try again (Definition of succeed from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)
- to happen or terminate according to desire; turn out successfully: Our efforts succeeded. 2. to thrive, grow, or the like. 3. to accomplish what is attempted or intended: We succeeded in our efforts. 4. to attain success in some popularly recognized form, as wealth or standing.
succeed, v. meanings, etymology, pronunciation and more in the Oxford English Dictionary
Verb succeed (third-person singular simple present succeeds, present participle succeeding, simple past and past participle succeeded) (transitive) To follow something in sequence or time.
To succeed is to turn out well, to attain a goal: It is everyone's wish to succeed in life. To flourish is to give evidence of success or a ripe development of power, reputation, etc.: Culture flourishes among free people.
Definition of succeed verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
If you succeed in doing something, you manage to do it. We have already succeeded in working out ground rules with the Department of Defense. [VERB + in] Some people will succeed in their efforts to stop smoking. [VERB + in] If they can succeed in America and Europe, then they can succeed here too. [VERB]