In 15 Seconds
- Used to describe a massive, undeniable hit or victory.
- Combines 'meio' (as an intensifier) with 'enorme sucesso'.
- Perfect for social events, business wins, or viral moments.
Meaning
This phrase describes something that was a massive, undeniable hit. It's what you say when an event, a project, or even a party exceeds all expectations and everyone is talking about it.
Key Examples
3 of 6Talking about a new restaurant opening
A inauguração do restaurante foi um meio enorme sucesso.
The restaurant opening was a huge success.
Discussing a marketing campaign in a meeting
Nossa campanha de verão teve um meio enorme sucesso nas redes.
Our summer campaign had a huge success on social media.
Texting a friend about a party
Cara, a festa de ontem foi um meio enorme sucesso!
Dude, yesterday's party was a huge success!
Cultural Background
The phrase reflects the Brazilian tendency to use qualifiers to add flavor to standard descriptions. While 'sucesso' is common, adding 'enorme' and 'meio' creates a specific rhythmic emphasis often found in urban centers like São Paulo or Rio. It gained traction in media and marketing circles to describe viral phenomena.
The 'Meio' Mystery
Don't translate 'meio' as 'half' here. In this specific phrase, it's more like saying 'quite the' or 'sort of a' huge success, but with a positive punch.
Watch the Gender
While 'sucesso' is masculine (um sucesso), make sure your adjectives match. It's always 'um' and 'enorme' regardless of who achieved it.
In 15 Seconds
- Used to describe a massive, undeniable hit or victory.
- Combines 'meio' (as an intensifier) with 'enorme sucesso'.
- Perfect for social events, business wins, or viral moments.
What It Means
Meio enorme sucesso is a bit of a linguistic quirk. In this specific context, meio acts as an intensifier or a qualifier for the scale of the achievement. It describes something that didn't just succeed, it dominated. It’s the kind of success that leaves people impressed and slightly surprised. Think of a startup that goes viral overnight or a concert that sells out in seconds. It is big, bold, and impossible to ignore.
How To Use It
You use this phrase as a noun phrase to label a result. You will often see it following verbs like foi (it was) or teve (it had). It’s perfect for summarizing the outcome of a big effort. If you organized a dinner party and people are still texting you about the food three days later, that was a meio enorme sucesso. It’s punchy and carries a lot of positive energy.
When To Use It
Use it when you want to sound enthusiastic but grounded. It works great in professional debriefs when a campaign went well. It’s also perfect for social media captions to show off a successful weekend trip. Use it when the scale of the success is the main point of your story. It’s the verbal equivalent of a high-five and a celebratory drink.
When NOT To Use It
Avoid using this for small, quiet victories. If you finally folded your laundry, calling it a meio enorme sucesso sounds like heavy sarcasm. Don't use it in extremely stiff, academic writing where 'meio' might be seen as too colloquial. Also, be careful with the word meio—if you use it with an adjective like meio cansado, it means 'a bit tired'. But here, it emphasizes the grand scale.
Cultural Background
Brazilians love superlatives and expressing grand emotions. We don't just like things; we love them. We don't just succeed; we have a 'sucesso estrondoso'. The use of meio here is a modern way to frame a 'massive' event. It reflects a culture that celebrates social proof and collective approval. If a lot of people showed up and had fun, it’s a success worth shouting about.
Common Variations
You might hear um baita sucesso for something even more informal and regional. Sucesso absoluto is the more traditional, formal cousin. If you want to sound very Gen Z, you might just say foi hit. But meio enorme sucesso hits that sweet spot of being clear, descriptive, and very 'now'. It’s the gold standard for describing a win.
Usage Notes
This is a neutral-to-informal expression. It's perfect for spoken Portuguese and casual writing. Avoid it in legal documents or extremely formal speeches where 'êxito' is preferred.
The 'Meio' Mystery
Don't translate 'meio' as 'half' here. In this specific phrase, it's more like saying 'quite the' or 'sort of a' huge success, but with a positive punch.
Watch the Gender
While 'sucesso' is masculine (um sucesso), make sure your adjectives match. It's always 'um' and 'enorme' regardless of who achieved it.
The 'Bombou' Alternative
If you are with very close friends, you can swap this phrase for 'Bombou!' which literally means 'it exploded' but is the go-to slang for a huge success.
Examples
6A inauguração do restaurante foi um meio enorme sucesso.
The restaurant opening was a huge success.
Describes a public event that went perfectly.
Nossa campanha de verão teve um meio enorme sucesso nas redes.
Our summer campaign had a huge success on social media.
Professional yet enthusiastic way to report results.
Cara, a festa de ontem foi um meio enorme sucesso!
Dude, yesterday's party was a huge success!
Casual and high-energy for social contexts.
Meu bolo queimado foi um meio enorme sucesso... só que não.
My burnt cake was a huge success... not.
Using the grandiosity of the phrase for comedic effect.
A peça da escola foi um meio enorme sucesso, todos amaram.
The school play was a huge success, everyone loved it.
Expressing genuine pride and community approval.
O campeonato regional foi um meio enorme sucesso de público.
The regional championship was a huge success in terms of attendance.
Focuses on the scale of the crowd.
Test Yourself
Choose the best word to complete the phrase describing a sold-out concert.
O show de ontem foi um ___ enorme sucesso!
In this context, 'meio' functions as a qualifier that fits the common expression for a big hit.
Which verb usually precedes the phrase when describing a past event?
A conferência ___ um meio enorme sucesso.
'Foi' (was) is the most natural way to describe the completed outcome of an event.
🎉 Score: /2
Visual Learning Aids
Formality Scale of 'Meio Enorme Sucesso'
Slang like 'foi hit' or 'bombou'.
A festa bombou!
The sweet spot for 'meio enorme sucesso'.
O evento foi um meio enorme sucesso.
Standard business terms.
Obtivemos um êxito considerável.
Where to use 'Meio Enorme Sucesso'
Work Projects
The launch went great!
Parties/Events
Everyone showed up!
Personal Wins
I nailed the presentation.
Social Media
The post went viral.
Practice Bank
2 exercisesO show de ontem foi um ___ enorme sucesso!
In this context, 'meio' functions as a qualifier that fits the common expression for a big hit.
A conferência ___ um meio enorme sucesso.
'Foi' (was) is the most natural way to describe the completed outcome of an event.
🎉 Score: /2
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsLiterally yes, but idiomatically no. In meio enorme sucesso, it acts as a qualifier that emphasizes the scale, similar to saying 'it was quite a huge success'.
Yes, it is neutral enough for a friendly business email. You might say, O projeto foi um meio enorme sucesso to a colleague or manager.
Um grande sucesso is more standard and safe. Meio enorme sucesso adds a bit more personality and modern flair to your speech.
Usually, it describes events or results, not people. You wouldn't say a person is a meio enorme sucesso, but you could say their career is.
It is much more common in Brazilian Portuguese. In Portugal, they might prefer um grande êxito or um sucesso tremendo.
In Brazil, it's usually 'ee-NOR-mee'. The 'e' at the end is very soft, almost like an 'i' sound.
You could say um fracasso total (a total failure) or não deu em nada (it came to nothing).
It would sound sarcastic. If you use it for something small, like finding your keys, people will think you are joking.
Not quite slang, but it's very colloquial. It's a 'collocation'—words that just naturally hang out together in casual conversation.
No, that doesn't really work. The phrase relies on the contrast or the scale of 'enorme' to sound natural.
Related Phrases
Sucesso absoluto
Absolute success
Bombou
It was a hit / It exploded (slang)
Deu super certo
It worked out great
Baita sucesso
A huge/great success (informal)
