nearly successful

USAGE SUMMARY

"nearly successful" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring to an effort that almost worked, but not quite. For example: "I was nearly successful in my attempt to finish the challenging task."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

36 human-written examples

The campaign was nearly successful.

The New Yorker

For Updike, this effort was blessed, and very nearly successful.

The New Yorker

The pretext was a nearly successful attempt on the life of Lenin by a Socialist Revolutionary, Fannie Kaplan.

Encyclopedia Britannica

But even the administration acknowledges that Friday's nearly successful attack was evidence that flaws in the system remain.

The New York Times

Mr. Fincher also directed "Fight Club," a wildly ambitious, nearly successful attempt to translate Chuck Palahniuk's fable of dystopian macho into a coherent film.

The New York Times

Many observers have labelled the attempt amateurish, but accounts by officials contradict this characterisation, describing it as well organised and very nearly successful.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

22 human-written examples

For that matter, the film's horrific earlier depiction, in Tomainia's ghetto, of a nearly-successful lynching, by hanging, of the Jewish barber must have reminded Chaplin's American viewers that such crimes and horrors of hatred continued to be perpetrated here.

The New Yorker

These religious and cultural divisions in Grenadian society contributed to the rise of local resistance which culminated in the nearly-successful Fédon Rebellion in 1795 96.

Wikipedia

Nearly all successful tribute bands have clever names.

The New York Times - Arts

"Regret," released in 1993, was nearly as successful.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The second half of the book is not nearly so successful.

The New York Times - Books

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "nearly successful" to describe situations where efforts fell just short of achieving the intended outcome. Be specific about what made it "nearly" successful to provide context.

Common error

Avoid using "nearly successful" when the outcome was a clear failure. It implies a high degree of advancement toward the goal, not just a preliminary attempt.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "nearly successful" functions as an adjective phrase, modifying a noun to indicate that an effort or attempt almost achieved its intended goal. Ludwig AI confirms this usage is grammatically correct and frequent in diverse contexts.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Encyclopedias

21%

Wiki

18%

Less common in

Formal & Business

3%

Science

4%

Reference

4%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "nearly successful" is a common and grammatically sound way to describe something that almost, but didn't quite, achieve its goal. As Ludwig AI indicates, it is widely used across various contexts, particularly in News & Media and Encyclopedias. When using this phrase, it's important to convey the degree to which something approached success. Avoid using this phrase if something has clearly failed. Alternatives like "almost successful" or "close to succeeding" can be used depending on the context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

almost successful

Emphasizes how close the attempt was to success.

virtually successful

Suggests that for all practical purposes, it was a success, even if technically not.

close to succeeding

Focuses on the process of approaching success rather than the outcome.

on the verge of success

Highlights the imminence of success before it was not achieved.

narrowly unsuccessful

Emphasizes the slight margin by which success was missed.

just shy of successful

Informal way of saying that it was a bit short of being successful.

failed by a hair's breadth

Idiomatic expression for failing by a very small margin.

approaching success

Highlights the continuous progress towards success but not fully achieving it.

came close to succeeding

Focuses on the proximity to achieving success.

almost made it

Casual expression indicating a near miss.

FAQs

How can I use "nearly successful" in a sentence?

You can use "nearly successful" to describe an attempt or effort that almost achieved the desired outcome, for example, "The experiment was "nearly successful", but a minor error prevented complete success".

What can I say instead of "nearly successful"?

You can use alternatives like "almost successful", "virtually successful", or "close to succeeding" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "nearly successful" or "near successful"?

"Nearly successful" is the correct and more commonly used phrase. "Near successful" is grammatically awkward and less idiomatic.

What's the difference between "nearly successful" and "partially successful"?

"Nearly successful" implies that the attempt came very close to complete success, while "partially successful" suggests that only some aspects of the attempt were successful.