Welcome to our collection of English idioms for success! Idioms can be complicated to understand but these colorful expressions capture wisdom and convey meaning beyond their literal interpretation.
In this fun list, we have gathered some top success idioms that encapsulate the essence of achievement and triumph. Whether you’re seeking inspiration for your writing or looking to enrich your language skills, each idiom on this list has definitions and example sentences to help you.
Success idioms
Ride the wave of success
When people ride the wave of success they take advantage of a favorable situation and make the most of it.
Just like riding a wave when you surf, this ocean idiom means you need to choose the right moment to seize an opportunity and keep on top of it.
“I saw the demand for my product skyrocket, so I decided to ride the wave of success and expand my business globally.”
Hit the jackpot
When someone hits the jackpot they achieve a significant and unexpected success or windfall.
“My investment in that startup truly hit the jackpot. It grew exponentially, and I reaped incredible financial rewards.”
Dress for success
People will sometimes judge you according to the way you dress, and successful people are expected to dress in a certain way.
This is why you may be advised to dress for success; to present yourself in a way that represents the success you want to achieve.
“I always make sure to be dressed for success during important meetings. It boosts my confidence and leaves a lasting impression.”
Find some more fashion and clothing idioms here.
Landslide victory
If you win a contest with a large margin, significantly ahead of your competitors, it can be described as a landslide victory.
“It looks like it’s going to be a landslide victory for the incumbent president.”
By the skin of your teeth
In contrast, if you only succeed by a narrow margin, you are said to do it by the skin of your teeth.
“I passed my driving test by the skin of my teeth, but at least I have my license now.”
Climb the ladder of success
When someone climbs the ladder of success they steadily progress and achieve higher levels of success in their career or personal endeavors.
“I started as an intern, but with determination and hard work, I climbed the ladder of success and now hold a senior management position.”
You will most often hear people use this as a business saying. Climb the corporate ladder is another expression that means the same thing in a corporate setting.
Make the cut
To make the cut is to meet the requirement for something. It could be passing a test, being selected for a sports team, or progressing to the next level of a contest, for example.
“I wish that everybody could have made the cut, but we had to select the top 10 players to compete in the semi-finals.”
Reach for the stars
You should always advise people to reach for the stars as it’s a lovely way of telling them to aim for great achievements or set ambitious goals. It’s a positive saying that encourages others to aspire to the highest levels of success.
“Don’t be afraid to dream big and reach for the stars.”
Howling/roaring success
If you want to express how extremely successful something was, you could describe it as a howling success or a roaring success.
“The band’s debut single has been a roaring success.”
“Great work organizing that dinner party; it was a howling success.”
Strike gold
Perhaps this saying comes from when people found gold during the Gold Rush era in the US, and suddenly became very rich. It could also relate to drilling for and finding oil.
Either way, to strike gold is to discover something highly valuable or achieve great success unexpectedly.
“After years of hard work and persistence, I finally struck gold when my invention gained worldwide recognition.”
This is one of many idioms with colors that we use in English.
Break the glass ceiling
Break the glass ceiling is one of the very important success idioms used nowadays. It signifies breaking through invisible barriers or limitations, especially in career advancement, to reach unprecedented success.
“As a female executive, I made it my mission to break the glass ceiling and prove that gender should never limit one’s potential for success.”
Rags to riches
Here’s an idiom about money that describes financial success. When you go from rags to riches, you achieve great wealth from a humble or poor start in life.
“The digital world has made it easier than ever to go from rags to riches.”
“Jay has an amazing rags-to-riches story. It’s a real inspiration.”
As you can see in the second example sentence above, this idiom for success can also be used as an adjective phrase.
Midas touch
Taken from Greek mythology, Midas was a king who turned everything to gold by simply touching it. But there is much more to this story and it has a great lesson for you to learn.
As a success idiom, the Midas touch refers to the ability to achieve consistent success in every venture, especially in terms of financial success.
“John seems to have the Midas touch. Everything he touches in business becomes successful, and it’s truly inspiring.”
More idioms for success
Winning streak
When it comes to success idioms, a winning streak is something you definitely want!
It’s often used as a sporting expression but can apply to any situation where you have a continuous series of victories or successes.
“Our team is on a winning streak! We’ve won every match this season and have our sights set on the championship.”
“We seem to be experiencing a winning streak pitching for new contracts.”
Put your best foot forward
People may tell you to put your best foot forward when you are starting something new or need to make a good first impression. They are advising you to give your utmost effort and present yourself in the best possible way to achieve success.
“When attending a job interview, remember to put your best foot forward. First impressions can make all the difference.”
Make a comeback
Sometimes, a person, group, or company has a period of success and then retires or fades away for a while. If they return to success after such a period, it could be said that they made a comeback.
“That rock group should stop trying to make a comeback. Nobody cares about them anymore.”
“We all thought the company would collapse after the scandal, but somehow they made a comeback.”
The stars align
When the stars align in a situation, it feels like everything is coming together perfectly in your favor and you are destined for success.
“After years of hard work and dedication, the stars finally aligned for Jane when she received the long-awaited promotion and won the lottery on the same day.”
This also features on our list of star idioms.
Come out on top
People who come out on top emerge as the winner or achieve the highest position in a competition or endeavor.
“It was a tough race, but I gave it my all and managed to come out on top.”
The world is your oyster
This is not so much an idiom for success but about the potential for success in all that you do. The world is your oyster implies that you have endless opportunities.
“Don’t limit yourself. The world is your oyster, and success can be found in the most unexpected places if you’re willing to explore.”
This is a good motivational idiom to encourage someone to do more with their life.
The sweet smell of victory
After you win something, you may find great satisfaction and joy in your success. This feeling of euphoria is referred to as the sweet smell of victory.
“After months of training and preparation, we got to experience the sweet smell of victory.”
Flash in the pan
This idiom for success is not particularly positive; at least, not something you should aim for.
Something (or someone) can be described as a flash in the pan if it shows initial promise or success but quickly fades, or fails to deliver long-term results.
“The band’s first single was a massive hit, but unfortunately, it turned out to be a flash in the pan.”
This cooking expression can also describe short-lived achievements or sudden bursts of fame that do not endure time.
You may use it as an adjective phrase, too.
“Reality TV only provides flash-in-the-pan fame for most people.”
Winning isn’t everything
This expression emphasizes that while winning is desirable, it is not the sole measure of success. Winning isn’t everything suggests that your journey, growth, and personal development matter as much as the outcome.
“Remember, winning isn’t everything. You tried your best and that’s all that matters.”
Come up trumps
Somebody who comes up trumps is successful, often when it was not expected or they faced some adversity.
“Despite all the problems she faced, it seems Leila has come up trumps in life.”
A variation of this success idiom primarily used in British English is turn up trumps.
Strike it lucky
This is an idiom about good luck as much as success. When you strike it lucky, you achieve success or a win with some element of luck.
“It’s going to be a tough competition but I hope you strike it lucky.”
We hope you’ve enjoyed exploring these success idioms and found them both enlightening and entertaining.
Did any particular idiom strike a chord with you? Have you encountered other idioms about success that you’d like to share? We would love to hear from you! Feel free to leave a comment below with your questions or insights.
