occasionally successful

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "occasionally successful" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that achieves success from time to time, rather than consistently. Example: "The project was occasionally successful, yielding positive results during certain phases."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

16 human-written examples

Even then, transfusion was only occasionally successful.

The Economist

The necessity defense was occasionally successful in state courts, where anti-nuclear protesters had walked free after explaining their actions to a jury.

The New Yorker

But Means had always been a keen actor in the sort of political theatre which was a prominent, if only occasionally successful, part of 1960s protest.

The Guardian

Fridays were filled with trips to pools and beaches, hours of television and Wii, long stretches alone for older children, and, occasionally, successful attempts to get them to do their homework early.

The New York Times

The most prominent and occasionally successful of these groups is the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), which is dominated by the major oil-producing countries of Southwest Asia.

Encyclopedia Britannica

This is in part why David Warner's occasionally successful attempts to master opening in England – head down one day, bat blazing the next – are so absorbing, the spectacle of a pure batting athlete trying to master a skill that less talented, less ebullient, more obviously scarred and cautious players have mastered before him.

The Guardian - Sport

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

44 human-written examples

Mediation in other recent sports lockouts has only occasionally been successful.

The New York Times - Sports

Occasionally, a successful company will appoint an outsider who can introduce some particular expertise.

The Economist

While I've occasionally been successful at helping people fix a problem, usually people end up disappointed and tell me, "That's just what the guy on the phone said".

The New York Times

Also, unlike cheetahs, leopards can climb trees and use them to keep their cubs and kills away from lions; however, lionesses will occasionally be successful in climbing to retrieve leopard kills.

Wikipedia

These observations confirm the nonclonal epidemic population structure of P. aeruginosa, a superficially clonal structure with frequent recombinations, in which occasionally highly successful epidemic clones arise.

Plosone

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Pair "occasionally successful" with specific examples to illustrate when and why success was achieved. This provides context and allows for a more nuanced understanding.

Common error

Avoid using "occasionally successful" when the outcome is consistently unsuccessful. Instead, use phrases that accurately reflect the more frequent outcome, such as "rarely successful" or "mostly unsuccessful".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "occasionally successful" primarily functions as an adjective phrase modifying a noun. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and usability. It describes something which achieves a degree of success on an intermittent basis.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

37%

Science

29%

Wiki

12%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

6%

Formal & Business

6%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "occasionally successful" effectively communicates that something achieves success, but not consistently. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase is grammatically correct and suitable for various contexts. It appears most frequently in news and media, science and wiki sources. When using this phrase, it's important to provide specific examples to add clarity and context. Avoid overstating results and ensure the phrase accurately reflects the frequency of success. Alternatives such as "sometimes successful", "sporadically successful", and "intermittently successful" can be used to convey slightly different nuances.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

sometimes successful

Replaces 'occasionally' with 'sometimes', indicating success happens, but not always.

sporadically successful

Emphasizes the irregular and infrequent nature of success.

intermittently successful

Highlights the on-and-off pattern of success.

periodically successful

Suggests success occurs at specific intervals.

partially successful

Indicates that success is not complete or total.

selectively successful

Implies success in certain instances or situations.

incidentally successful

Success is a secondary or unintended outcome.

unreliably successful

Highlights the lack of consistency in achieving success.

now and then successful

An idiomatic way of saying success happens infrequently.

at times successful

Expresses that success happens from time to time.

FAQs

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

You can use "occasionally successful" to describe something that achieves success intermittently. For example: "The marketing campaign was "occasionally successful", generating high engagement during specific promotional periods."

What are some alternatives to the phrase "occasionally successful"?

Some alternatives include "sometimes successful", "sporadically successful", or "intermittently successful", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it better to say "occasionally successful" or "sometimes successful"?

Both "occasionally successful" and "sometimes successful" are correct. "Occasionally" suggests a less frequent occurrence than "sometimes", so the best choice depends on the actual frequency of success.

What's the difference between "occasionally successful" and "frequently successful"?

"Occasionally successful" indicates that success is infrequent, while "frequently successful" implies that success is common. The choice depends on how often the desired outcome is achieved.