Succeed — Defs

01 v. t. To follow in order; to come next after; hence, to take the place of; as, the king's eldest son succeeds his father on the throne; autumn su…

imp. & p. p. Succeeded; p. pr. & vb. n. Succeeding

1.
To follow in order; to come next after; hence, to take the place of; as, the king's eldest son succeeds his father on the throne; autumn succeeds summer.
“As he saw him nigh succeed.” — Spenser.
2.
To fall heir to; to inherit.[Obs. & R.]
3.
To come after; to be subsequent or consequent to; to follow; to pursue.
“Destructive effects . . . succeeded the curse.” — Sir T. Browne.
4.
To support; to prosper; to promote.[R.]
“Succeed my wish and second my design.” — Dryden.

02 v. i. To come in the place of another person, thing, or event; to come next in the usual, natural, or prescribed course of things; to follow; hen…

1.
To come in the place of another person, thing, or event; to come next in the usual, natural, or prescribed course of things; to follow; hence, to come next in the possession of anything; -- often with to.
“If the father left only daughters, they equally succeeded to him in copartnership.” — Sir M. Hale.

“Enjoy till I return Short pleasures; for long woes are to succeed!” — Milton.
2.
To ascend the throne after the removal the death of the occupant.
“No woman shall succeed in Salique land.” — Shak.
3.
To descend, as an estate or an heirloom, in the same family; to devolve.
4.
To obtain the object desired; to accomplish what is attempted or intended; to have a prosperous issue or termination; to be successful; as, he succeeded in his plans; his plans succeeded.
“It is almost impossible for poets to succeed without ambition.” — Dryden.

“Spenser endeavored it in Shepherd's Kalendar; but neither will it succeed in English.” — Dryden.
5.
To go under cover.[A latinism. Obs.]
“Will you to the cooler cave succeed!” — Dryden.

Syn. To follow; pursue. See Follow.