somewhat successful

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "somewhat successful" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a situation or outcome that has achieved a level of success, but not to a full or complete extent. Example: "The project was somewhat successful, as it met some of its goals but fell short in others."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

The law enforcement agencies have been somewhat successful.

The New York Times

"The crisis strategy they have been using has been somewhat successful," Dr. Nickerson said.

The New York Times

It has also been somewhat successful, which undoubtedly accounts for its recent popularity.

The New York Times - Sports

The joint military operation has been somewhat successful, at least by eastern Congo's depressingly low standards.

The New York Times

The group performed on Brazil's Radio Nacional in 1946 and was somewhat successful.

The New York Times

That Congress intended for the tribes to be only somewhat successful?" Mr. Ducheneaux said.

The New York Times

The third new NBC show is a spinoff of the somewhat successful new drama "Chicago Fire".

The New York Times

Before Jacobs's recent struggles, he enjoyed a somewhat successful career in the majors.

The New York Times - Sports

In New York, Karman's tenacity proved somewhat successful; the U.N. passed a resolution on Friday encouraging Saleh to step down.

The New Yorker

She competed with him in an NYU composition class in 1946, and followed his somewhat successful literary career with envy.

The New Yorker

From there, he had a somewhat successful, yet often controversial, political career (a public struggle with drug addiction included).

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "somewhat successful", consider specifying the aspects in which the subject was successful and those in which it fell short. This provides a more nuanced and informative assessment.

Common error

Avoid using "somewhat successful" when the outcome was clearly a failure or a resounding success. Choose a more appropriate descriptor to accurately reflect the situation.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "somewhat successful" functions as a modifier, specifically an adjectival phrase. It describes a noun by indicating a degree of success that is less than complete or outstanding. As shown in Ludwig examples, this is a common way to qualify achievements or outcomes.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

41%

Encyclopedias

10%

Science

10%

Less common in

Wiki

8%

Formal & Business

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "somewhat successful" is a versatile adjectival phrase used to describe situations or outcomes that have achieved a partial or moderate level of success. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it is grammatically correct and widely applicable. Its frequency of usage is very common, particularly in news and media, encyclopedias and scientific writing, with a neutral register making it suitable for both formal and informal communication. When employing "somewhat successful", it is crucial to accurately represent the degree of achievement and specify the aspects that contributed to the success. Alternatives such as "moderately successful" and "partially successful" offer similar shades of meaning, allowing for precise expression of partial success.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

moderately successful

Replaces "somewhat" with "moderately", indicating a similar level of success, but perhaps with a slightly more positive connotation.

partially successful

Substitutes "somewhat" with "partially", highlighting that only a portion of the intended outcome was achieved.

reasonably successful

Uses "reasonably" instead of "somewhat", suggesting that the success was adequate but not exceptional.

fairly successful

Employs "fairly" in place of "somewhat", conveying a similar sense of moderate success.

kind of successful

Replaces "somewhat" with the more informal "kind of", indicating a less formal tone and a slightly weaker degree of success.

to some extent successful

Adds the introductory phrase "to some extent", emphasizing the limited nature of the success.

relatively successful

Uses "relatively" to indicate success is being compared to a certain standard or expectation, suggesting it met that standard to some degree.

a qualified success

Changes the structure to a noun phrase, suggesting success with reservations or limitations.

not entirely unsuccessful

Uses a double negative to express a degree of success, albeit indirectly, implying it was not a complete failure.

marginally successful

Indicates success by a narrow margin, suggesting the achievement was minimal.

FAQs

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

You can use "somewhat successful" to describe an endeavor that achieved some, but not all, of its intended goals. For instance, "The marketing campaign was somewhat successful, increasing brand awareness but not significantly boosting sales."

What are some alternatives to "somewhat successful"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives like "moderately successful", "partially successful", or "reasonably successful".

Is it better to say "somewhat successful" or "very successful"?

The choice depends on the actual outcome. Use "somewhat successful" if the endeavor achieved some success but had limitations. Use "very successful" if the endeavor exceeded expectations and achieved significant results.

What's the difference between "somewhat successful" and "completely successful"?

"Somewhat successful" implies partial achievement, suggesting that some goals were met while others were not. "Completely successful" means all goals were achieved without any significant shortcomings.