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Successful vs Thrive - What's the difference?

successful | thrive |

As an adjective successful

is resulting in success; assuring, or promotive of, success; accomplishing what was proposed; having the desired effect; prosperous; fortunate; happy.

As a verb thrive is

to grow or increase stature; to grow vigorously or luxuriantly, to flourish.

successful

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Resulting in success; assuring, or promotive of, success; accomplishing what was proposed; having the desired effect; prosperous; fortunate; happy
  • * {{quote-book, year=2006, author=(Edwin Black), title=Internal Combustion
    • , chapter=1 citation , passage=If successful , Edison and Ford—in 1914—would move society away from the ever more expensive and then universally known killing hazards of gasoline cars: […] .}}
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-21, author=(Oliver Burkeman)
    • , volume=189, issue=2, page=27, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= The tao of tech , passage=The dirty secret of the internet is that all this distraction and interruption is immensely profitable. Web companies like to boast about […], or offering services that let you

    Synonyms

    * efficacious, effective, fruitful, rewarding, accomplished, profitable

    Antonyms

    * unsuccessful * failed

    Derived terms

    * successfully * successfulness

    Related terms

    * success

    thrive

    English

    Verb

  • To grow or increase stature; to grow vigorously or luxuriantly, to flourish.
  • :* 1819' (though spoken by a character in the 12-century): “It seems to me, reverend father,” said the knight, “that the small morsels which you eat, together with this holy, but somewhat thin beverage, have '''thriven with you marvellously.” — Walter Scott, ''Ivanhoe
  • To increase in wealth or success; to prosper, be profitable.
    • Since expanding in June, the business has really thrived .
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2012 , date=April 29 , author=Nathan Rabin , title=TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “Treehouse of Horror III” (season 4, episode 5; originally aired 10/29/1992) citation , page= , passage=Though they obviously realized that these episodes were part of something wonderful and important and lasting, the writers and producers couldn’t have imagined that 20 years later “Treehouse Of Horror” wouldn’t just survive; it’d thrive as one of the most talked-about and watched episodes of every season of The Simpsons.}}

    Synonyms

    * See also