achieve
/əˈtʃiːv
/verb [with object]
Successfully bring about or reach (a desired objective or result) by effort, skill, or courage: he achieved his ambition to become a press photographer the killings achieved nothing [no object]: people striving to achieve...
- O'Neill has told his players that pretty football must be secondary to achieving the right result.
- The left wing of the attack achieved its objectives but the right wing failed completely.
- We are achieving significant results in reducing crime and the fear of crime.
Synonyms
attain, reach, arrive at;
realize, carry off, bring off, pull off, bring about, accomplish, carry through, fulfil, execute, perform, engineer, carry out, bring to fruition, conclude, complete, finish, consummate;
earn, win, gain, find, establish, acquire, obtain, procure, come by, get, secure, clinch, seize, wrest, hook, net
informal wrap up, polish off, bag, wangle, swing
rare effectuate, reify
Origin
Middle English (in the sense 'complete successfully'): from Old French achever 'come or bring to a head', from a chief 'to a head'.
The early sense was ‘complete successfully’, from Old French achever ‘come or bring to a head’, from the phrase a chief ‘to a head’.
Rhymes
- roundheeled
- round-heeler
- round herring
- round-hoofed
- roundhouse
- roundhouse kick
- rounding error
- rounding-off error
- rounding up
- roundish
- roundishness
- round-leafed
- round-leaved
- round-leaved sundew
- roundlet
- round log
- round lot
- roundly
- roundman
- round meal
- round-mouth
- round-mouthed
- round-neck
- round-necked
- roundness