Meaning & use
smashing success
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Meanings
phrasesingularinformal
Something that turns out extremely well and pleases everyone involved.
Grammar: Used as a countable noun phrase and usually needs 'a': The party was a smashing success.
Patterns
- be a smashing success
- a smashing success with someone
- make something a smashing success
The school concert was a smashing success, and parents are still talking about it.
Her first book turned out to be a smashing success in every market it reached.
They called the charity dinner a smashing success after raising twice the expected amount.
phrasesingularinformal
Used to describe a person who is very popular or admired in a particular role.
Grammar: Follows 'be' and is often completed by 'with' plus a group: She was a smashing success with the audience.
Patterns
- be a smashing success with someone
As a new teacher, he was a smashing success with the younger students.
The young singer was a smashing success with critics and fans alike.
Common combinations
- a smashing success
- The fundraiser was a smashing success from start to finish.
- turn out to be a smashing success
- We worried about the play, but it turned out to be a smashing success.
- a smashing success with someone
- The new coach has been a smashing success with the players.
- make something a smashing success
- Careful planning made the festival a smashing success.
- a smashing success story
- Their little bakery became a smashing success story in the local press.
Synonyms and how they differ
- a great success
- Neutral and more formal; use it in reports or essays where 'smashing' would sound too casual.
- a hit
- Informal and often used for shows, songs, or products; it stresses popularity more than overall achievement.
- a triumph
- Stronger and more literary; it suggests a victory over difficulties rather than simply a good outcome.
Opposites
Word family
- smash verb
- to hit something hard and break it, or to succeed very strongly.
- smashing adjective
- British informal: extremely good or attractive.
- succeed verb
- to achieve what you wanted or planned.
- successful adjective
- achieving the results that were hoped for.
Commonly confused: smashing success or smashing? smashing success or success?
smashing success vs smashing
As an adjective, 'smashing' means excellent in British informal English; 'a smashing success' keeps that enthusiastic tone but is a fixed noun phrase.
smashing success vs success
'Success' is the general noun; 'a smashing success' adds informal praise and usually refers to one particular event or effort.
Practice
The charity concert was ___ success, raising more money than anyone expected.
Choose one answer.
'A smashing success' is the fixed phrase and needs the article 'a' before the adjective and noun. 'Smashing' alone cannot fill the noun slot, and 'smash' is a verb or noun, not an adjective here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “smashing success”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.