met with limited success

USAGE SUMMARY

"met with limited success" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It means that something was attempted or tried, but it did not achieve the desired level of success. Example: The new marketing campaign was met with limited success, as sales only increased by 5% instead of the target goal of 10%.

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

These efforts met with limited success though they would become much more successful after statehood.

Wikipedia

20 Despite these incentives, the search for successful preventive interventions has met with limited success.

BMJ Open

That has met with limited success.

The New York Times

All have met with limited success.

Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology, and Endodontology

So far that has met with limited success.

The New York Times

But the effort has met with limited success.

The New York Times

Exploration for petroleum has so far met with limited success.

Britannica

Our efforts thus far have met with limited success.

The Guardian

His foreign policy has met with limited success, at best.

The New York Times

Many of those efforts have met with limited success.

The New York Times

Efforts to compare mesh-based solutions with spectral ones have met with limited success.

Journal of Computational Physics

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "met with limited success" to accurately portray situations where efforts have yielded some positive results, but have not fully achieved their objectives. This nuance provides a balanced perspective.

Common error

Avoid using "met with limited success" when there were no positive outcomes at all. In such cases, phrases like "failed completely" or "was unsuccessful" are more appropriate.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "met with limited success" functions as a qualifier or evaluative comment. It expresses a judgment about the degree of success achieved by a particular effort or endeavor. Ludwig examples showcase its use across different contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

33%

News & Media

30%

Encyclopedias

3%

Less common in

Formal & Business

1%

Wiki

3%

Science

27%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "met with limited success" is a grammatically sound and frequently used phrase that describes situations where efforts have achieved some positive outcomes but have not fully reached their goals. Ludwig AI validates its correct usage. It appears across diverse fields like science, news, and encyclopedias, demonstrating its broad applicability in professional and neutral registers. When using this phrase, ensure it accurately reflects the degree of success achieved to avoid overstating the failure. Consider alternatives like "achieved modest results" or "had little impact" to fine-tune your message.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

achieved modest results

Focuses on the level of achievement, suggesting the outcomes were not substantial.

yielded meager outcomes

Highlights the poor yield or return from the effort.

had little impact

Emphasizes the lack of significant effect or influence.

produced mixed results

Indicates that some aspects were successful while others were not.

gained partial traction

Suggests some progress was made, but not enough to fully succeed.

experienced limited gains

Highlights the small amount of progress or benefit achieved.

saw marginal improvement

Focuses on the slight degree of positive change.

had a limited effect

Emphasizes the restricted scope of the impact.

proved somewhat ineffective

Directly states the lack of effectiveness to a certain degree.

did not fully succeed

Simply states that the effort fell short of complete success.

FAQs

How can I use "met with limited success" in a sentence?

You can use "met with limited success" to describe situations where an attempt was made but didn't fully achieve its intended goal. For example, "The marketing campaign "met with limited success", only increasing sales by 5%."

What are some alternatives to "met with limited success"?

Alternatives include "achieved modest results", "yielded meager outcomes", or "had little impact", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it more appropriate to say "met with limited success" or "failed"?

"Met with limited success" suggests some progress was made, while "failed" indicates no progress. Choose based on the actual outcome of the effort.

What's the difference between "met with limited success" and "partially succeeded"?

"Met with limited success" highlights the shortcomings, while "partially succeeded" emphasizes the achieved gains, although both imply incomplete success. The choice depends on whether you want to focus on the positive or negative aspects.