a decent success

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a decent success" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe an achievement that is satisfactory or acceptable, but not extraordinary. Example: "The project was a decent success, meeting most of our goals and receiving positive feedback from clients."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

And at a specialty label like CRI, selling even 500 total copies of a CD over several years was thought a decent success.

The New York Times - Arts

"Considering they do have a decent success rate, I don't see much harm being done to the industry as a whole," he said.

Los Angeles Times

Your doctor may prescribe a corrosive solution regimen that will "burn" the warts off, and this method has a decent success rate.

WikiHow

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

Jordin Sparks, who has had decent success, also beat out a male.

Forbes

Until now the game was only available via an Android app and the web, and has actually seen decent success considering the competition in the mobile social gaming space.

TechCrunch

Disney and other children's publishers have had decent success with one-time sales of magazines at retailers like Barnes & Noble and grocery stores.

The New York Times

McDowell was bluntly honest when asked what he knew of this 33-year-old who has enjoyed decent success on his home tour.

The Guardian - Sport

While in the first half of the year we had decent success with cost-per-click campaigns such as Google Adwords, in the recent past virtually all sorts of paid advertising were totally ineffective (with Admob and Facebook offering the worst value in terms of ad dollars spent per sale).

TechCrunch

"Luxurious" had decent success in North America.

Wikipedia

I wouldn't have done that if I didn't think it had the potential for some decent success.

Huffington Post

Whether owned by athlete or actor, writer or rapper, plenty of celebrity-backed and athlete-owned restaurants go on to be, if not hits, at least moderate to decent successes.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using the phrase "a decent success", consider the audience and context. It's best suited for situations where you want to acknowledge an achievement without overstating its significance.

Common error

Avoid using "a decent success" when describing truly remarkable or groundbreaking achievements. In such cases, opt for stronger terms like "a resounding success" or "a major breakthrough".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a decent success" functions as a noun phrase that typically acts as a subject complement or object in a sentence. It describes the level or quality of an achievement, indicating it is satisfactory but not outstanding. Ludwig AI confirms that "a decent success" is correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Wiki

20%

Science

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a decent success" describes an achievement that is satisfactory but not exceptional. Ludwig AI confirms the phrase is grammatically correct and usable in written English. With its neutral register, it's appropriate for various contexts, including news media and general writing. While it's not a particularly common phrase, as evidenced by its "Uncommon" frequency, "a decent success" effectively conveys a moderate level of accomplishment. When aiming for more descriptive variations, one can consider phrases like "a reasonable achievement" or "a satisfactory outcome".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a satisfactory outcome

Emphasizes the result being adequate or acceptable, rather than necessarily outstanding.

an acceptable result

Similar to "satisfactory outcome", but uses "acceptable" to highlight that the result meets the minimum required standards.

a reasonable achievement

Replaces "success" with "achievement", focusing on the accomplishment itself rather than the outcome's favorability.

a respectable showing

Indicates that the performance or result was good enough to earn respect, without necessarily being a major success.

a fair triumph

Substitutes "success" with "triumph", which indicates a victory, but modifies it with "fair" to suggest a moderate level of winning.

a noteworthy attainment

Substitutes "success" with "attainment", which suggests reaching a goal, and "noteworthy" emphasizes that it's worthy of attention.

a moderate hit

Replaces "success" with "hit", implying popularity or impact, while "moderate" specifies the extent of that impact.

a credible performance

Focuses on the execution and its believability or quality, rather than just the end result.

a passable accomplishment

Uses "passable" to indicate that the achievement is just good enough, without being exceptional.

a commendable effort

Highlights the praiseworthiness of the effort made, regardless of the ultimate level of success.

FAQs

How can I use "a decent success" in a sentence?

You can use "a decent success" to describe an outcome that is satisfactory or acceptable, but not exceptional. For example, "The project was "a decent success", meeting most of our goals".

What are some alternatives to "a decent success"?

Alternatives include "a reasonable achievement", "a satisfactory outcome", or "a moderate hit" depending on the context.

Is "a decent success" the same as "a great success"?

No, "a decent success" indicates a satisfactory level of achievement, while "a great success" implies a much higher level of accomplishment and impact. They are not interchangeable.

When is it appropriate to use "a decent success" instead of "a huge success"?

Use "a decent success" when you want to acknowledge a positive outcome that meets expectations without being particularly outstanding. Use "a huge success" when the results significantly exceed expectations and have a major impact.