Lesson

Success & Failure

Vocabulary for achievement and setbacks

≈ 15 min 8 block(s)

Text

Success & Failure Vocabulary

This lesson focuses on words and phrases commonly used to describe success, failure, and related concepts in professional contexts. You will learn key nouns, verbs, and adjectives and see how they are used in business reports, meetings, and performance reviews.

  • Recognize and use common terms (e.g., achieve, setback, exceed).
  • Learn collocations and correct prepositions (e.g., succeed in, fail to).
  • Practice using vocabulary in business sentences and short reports.

Focus on word forms and collocations to sound natural in professional English.

Table

Key Success & Failure Vocabulary

Word Part of Speech Definition Example
achieve verb to reach a goal or complete something successfully The team achieved the quarterly sales target.
succeed verb to accomplish what you intended or to have the desired result She succeeded in closing the deal.
exceed verb to go beyond a target, limit, or expectation The campaign exceeded expectations by 20%.
failure noun the lack of success or an unsuccessful result The product launch was labeled a failure by management.
setback noun an event that delays or stops progress A supplier delay caused a temporary setback.
milestone noun an important stage or event in a project Completing the prototype was a major milestone.
resilient adjective able to recover quickly from difficulties A resilient team adapted after the setback.
breakthrough noun an important development or discovery that improves a situation The new algorithm was a breakthrough for the company.

Tip

Key tip — Word forms and collocations

Pay attention to word forms (verb/noun/adjective) and common collocations. Small changes often change meaning or register.

  • Use verbs for actions: achieve targets, exceed expectations, fail to deliver.
  • Use nouns for outcomes: success, failure, setback, milestone.
  • Common collocations: succeed in + -ing (succeed in completing), fail to + infinitive (fail to meet), fall short of + noun (fall short of the goal).

Choose the correct form and preposition to keep your sentences natural and professional.

Example

Examples in context

The team achieved the quarterly targets ahead of schedule.

After a major setback, the company recovered and exceeded projections.

Her success in the project led to a promotion.

The product launch failed due to production delays.

Tip

Common mistakes to avoid

Be aware of frequent errors learners make with success/failure vocabulary. These are universal and can happen to anyone.

  • Using the wrong word form: 'a succeed' (wrong) vs 'a success' (correct).
  • Incorrect prepositions: 'succeed to do' is incorrect — use 'succeed in doing' or 'succeed at something'.
  • Wrong collocations: say 'meet a target' or 'fall short of a target', not 'do a target'.
  • Confusing noun vs verb: use 'failure' (noun) or 'fail' (verb) correctly with proper sentence structure.

Check the word class (noun/verb/adjective) and the typical prepositions or collocations before using a term.

Quiz

Choose the correct sentence:

Hint: Remember the correct preposition after 'succeed' when introducing a verb in -ing.

Quiz

Complete: The project _____ the team's expectations.

Hint: Think about a verb that means 'go beyond' or 'surpass'.

Quiz

Choose the best word to complete the sentence: After several delays, the launch was a _____ for the team.

Hint: Which word describes an event that delays progress or causes a problem?

Key Points

Vocabulary

achieve

verb CEFR B1 //əˈtʃiːv//

to reach a goal or complete something successfully

We achieved all project milestones on time.

Vocabulary

succeed

verb CEFR B1 //səkˈsiːd//

to accomplish what you intended or to have the desired result

She succeeded in securing the new client.

Vocabulary

exceed

verb CEFR B2 //ɪkˈsiːd//

to go beyond a target, limit, or expectation

Sales exceeded the forecast by 15%.

Vocabulary

failure

noun CEFR B1 //ˈfeɪljər//

the lack of success or an unsuccessful result

The audit revealed a failure to follow procedures.

Vocabulary

setback

noun CEFR B2 //ˈsɛtbæk//

an event that delays or stops progress

The supplier issue was a major setback for production.

Vocabulary

milestone

noun CEFR B2 //ˈmaɪlˌstoʊn//

an important stage or event in a project or process

Launching the beta version was a key milestone.

Vocabulary

resilient

adjective CEFR B2 //rɪˈzɪljənt//

able to recover quickly from difficulties or setbacks

A resilient department adapted its strategy after the merger.

Vocabulary

breakthrough

noun CEFR C1 //ˈbreɪkˌθruː//

an important development or discovery that improves a situation

The research team announced a technological breakthrough.