Achieve means to successfully accomplish a goal through effort and determination, signifying a positive outcome.
Word in 30 Seconds
- Successfully reach a goal or finish a task.
- Implies effort, skill, and determination.
- Represents accomplishment and positive outcomes.
Overview
The word 'achieve' is a fundamental verb used to describe the successful completion of something, typically a goal, objective, or task, through effort, skill, or determination. It implies a positive outcome that has been earned rather than simply happened by chance. When we achieve something, we are recognizing a personal accomplishment, whether it's a small personal victory or a significant milestone.
Overview: At its core, 'achieve' signifies the attainment of a desired result. This can range from academic success like passing an exam, to professional milestones like completing a major project, or even personal goals such as running a marathon. The word carries a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, highlighting the process of striving and ultimately succeeding. It's often used when the outcome is the result of deliberate action and perseverance.
Usage Patterns: 'Achieve' is a versatile verb used in both formal and informal contexts, though it leans slightly more towards formal or neutral registers. In spoken English, it's common in discussions about goals, ambitions, and successes. In written English, it appears frequently in news reports, academic papers, business communications, and motivational texts. While it can be used in everyday conversation, more casual synonyms like 'get' or 'do' might be preferred for less significant accomplishments.
**Common Contexts:**
- Work/Business: Employees strive to achieve targets, managers aim to achieve business goals, and companies work to achieve market leadership. Examples include 'achieving sales quotas,' 'achieving project deadlines,' or 'achieving profitability.'
- Education: Students work hard to achieve good grades, pass difficult exams, or gain admission to prestigious universities. Phrases like 'achieving academic excellence' or 'achieving a degree' are common.
- Personal Life: Individuals set personal goals, such as learning a new skill, improving fitness, or saving money, and work to achieve them. This could involve 'achieving a personal best' in sports or 'achieving financial independence.'
- Sports: Athletes strive to achieve victory, break records, or achieve peak performance.
Examples
She worked tirelessly to achieve her goal of running a marathon.
personalElla trabajó incansablemente para alcanzar su meta de correr una maratón.
The team managed to achieve victory in the final match.
sportsEl equipo logró alcanzar la victoria en el partido final.
It takes dedication to achieve fluency in a new language.
learningSe necesita dedicación para lograr la fluidez en un nuevo idioma.
The company aims to achieve significant growth in the next fiscal year.
businessLa empresa tiene como objetivo lograr un crecimiento significativo en el próximo año fiscal.
He was proud to achieve top marks in his chemistry class.
academicEstaba orgulloso de obtener las máximas calificaciones en su clase de química.
We must find a way to achieve peace and understanding between the nations.
diplomaticDebemos encontrar una manera de lograr la paz y el entendimiento entre las naciones.
Common Collocations
Common Phrases
achieve one's potential
alcanzar el potencial de uno
achieve a breakthrough
lograr un avance decisivo
achieve a consensus
alcanzar un consenso
Often Confused With
'Accomplish' often refers to completing a task or duty, while 'achieve' implies reaching a goal that required significant effort, skill, or determination. They are very close in meaning and often interchangeable.
'Obtain' means to get or acquire something, often through a process, but doesn't necessarily imply the same level of effort or the attainment of a specific goal as 'achieve'.
Grammar Patterns
How to Use It
Usage Notes
Use 'achieve' when emphasizing the effort, skill, or determination involved in reaching a successful outcome. It is generally more formal than 'get' or 'do'. The noun form, 'achievement', is very common.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse 'achieve' with 'accomplish' or 'obtain'. Remember that 'achieve' strongly suggests that effort and skill were required to reach the goal.
Tips
Focus on the Process
When you want to achieve something, break it down into smaller steps. Celebrate each small success along the way!
Avoid Overuse
While 'achieve' is a strong word, using it too often can make it sound less impactful. Consider synonyms like 'reach,' 'complete,' or 'attain' when appropriate.
Cultural Emphasis
In many cultures, especially Western ones, there is a strong emphasis on individual achievement and setting ambitious goals. Highlighting achievements is often seen as positive.
Word Origin
From Old French 'achiever', meaning 'to bring to a head, finish, accomplish', from 'chief' meaning 'head'. It signifies reaching the 'head' or top point of something.
Cultural Context
In many societies, personal achievement is highly valued and often celebrated. The concept of 'the self-made person' who achieves success through sheer hard work is a prominent cultural narrative.
Memory Tip
Think of 'achieve' as 'A CHIP' you get on your shoulder for working hard to win. You earned that chip!
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsWhile very similar, 'accomplish' often implies completing a task or duty, whereas 'achieve' suggests reaching a goal that required significant effort or skill. However, they are often used interchangeably.
Generally, no. The core meaning of 'achieve' involves successful completion through effort, skill, or determination. Things that happen by chance are usually described with words like 'gain' or 'obtain'.
People commonly try to achieve goals related to education (good grades), career (promotions), health (fitness targets), finances (savings), and personal development (learning new skills).
No, 'achieve' is almost exclusively used for positive outcomes or the successful completion of desired tasks. For negative outcomes, words like 'suffer' or 'experience' are used.
The noun form is 'achievement', which refers to the act of achieving something or something that has been achieved.
Yes, 'achieve' can be used for both concrete goals (like winning a race) and abstract ones (like achieving peace or achieving understanding).
'Achieve' is the action or process of reaching success. Success is the state or result of achieving a goal.
It implies dedicated effort, skill, perseverance, and often overcoming challenges to reach the desired outcome.
No, the word 'achieve' inherently means to succeed or accomplish something positive. You might 'suffer' a failure or 'experience' a failure, but not 'achieve' one.
There isn't a single direct antonym. Opposites could be concepts like 'fail', 'lose', 'miss', or 'neglect', depending on the context.
Test Yourself
With hard work and dedication, she was able to ___ her dream of becoming a doctor.
'Achieve' fits best as it implies reaching a significant goal through effort and skill.
What does it mean to 'achieve' something?
The definition of 'achieve' involves successfully completing something, usually a goal, through dedicated effort and skill.
goals / difficult / achieve / can / We / if / work / we / hard
This sentence correctly uses 'achieve' to describe the successful completion of 'difficult goals' contingent upon 'working hard'.
Score: /3
Summary
Achieve means to successfully accomplish a goal through effort and determination, signifying a positive outcome.
- Successfully reach a goal or finish a task.
- Implies effort, skill, and determination.
- Represents accomplishment and positive outcomes.
Focus on the Process
When you want to achieve something, break it down into smaller steps. Celebrate each small success along the way!
Avoid Overuse
While 'achieve' is a strong word, using it too often can make it sound less impactful. Consider synonyms like 'reach,' 'complete,' or 'attain' when appropriate.
Cultural Emphasis
In many cultures, especially Western ones, there is a strong emphasis on individual achievement and setting ambitious goals. Highlighting achievements is often seen as positive.
Examples
6 of 6She worked tirelessly to achieve her goal of running a marathon.
Ella trabajó incansablemente para alcanzar su meta de correr una maratón.
The team managed to achieve victory in the final match.
El equipo logró alcanzar la victoria en el partido final.
It takes dedication to achieve fluency in a new language.
Se necesita dedicación para lograr la fluidez en un nuevo idioma.
The company aims to achieve significant growth in the next fiscal year.
La empresa tiene como objetivo lograr un crecimiento significativo en el próximo año fiscal.
He was proud to achieve top marks in his chemistry class.
Estaba orgulloso de obtener las máximas calificaciones en su clase de química.
We must find a way to achieve peace and understanding between the nations.
Debemos encontrar una manera de lograr la paz y el entendimiento entre las naciones.
Quick Quiz
If you study every day, you will ________ your goal of learning English.
Correct!
The correct answer is: achieve
Related Content
Learn it in Context
This Word in Other Languages
Related Phrases
Related Vocabulary
To succeed in achieving something, especially after a great...
obtainTo get something that you want or need, especially by making...
successSuccess is the achievement of a goal or a desired result. It...
accomplishTo successfully complete a task or reach a specific goal, es...
goalA goal is a specific result or purpose that a person or orga...
earnTo obtain money in return for labor or services.
More Actions words
abcredance
C1To formally grant credibility or validate the authenticity of a claim, process, or document based on rigorous evidence. It involves the transition of a statement or entity from a state of uncertainty to one of accepted institutional or logical fact.
abnasccide
C1Describing something that is characterized by a natural tendency to shed, detach, or be cut off at a specific stage of development or under certain conditions. It is most commonly used in botanical or technical contexts to describe parts that are designed to separate from the main body.
absorb
B2To take in or soak up energy, liquid, or other substances by chemical or physical action; also used metaphorically to mean taking in and understanding information or grasping the full attention of someone.
abstain
C1To voluntarily refrain from an action or practice, especially one that is considered unhealthy or morally questionable. It is also used formally to describe the act of choosing not to cast a vote in an election or deliberation.
abvictly
C1To decisively and abruptly resolve a complex situation or dispute by exercising overwhelming force or authority. It describes the act of bringing an immediate, non-negotiable end to a conflict, often bypassing traditional steps of negotiation.
abvitfy
C1The inherent capacity or latent potential within a system or individual to adapt quickly and effectively to unforeseen technological or structural changes. It describes a sophisticated form of resilience that allows for an immediate pivot and evolution without a loss of core function.
accelerate
C1To increase the speed or rate of something, or to make a process happen sooner than expected. In technical contexts, it refers to the rate of change of velocity, while in general contexts, it often describes the speeding up of progress or development.
accept
A1To agree to receive something that someone offers you, or to say yes to an invitation or a suggestion. It can also mean to believe that something is true or to recognize a situation as it is.
acquiesce
C1To accept something reluctantly but without protest. It describes a situation where someone agrees to a demand or proposal, often because they feel they have no other choice or do not wish to argue.
actions
A2The process of doing something, typically to achieve an aim. It can refer to a single deed or a series of activities. Actions are often contrasted with thoughts, words, or intentions, emphasizing the physical or practical aspect of behavior.
