achieve
gb/ət͡ʃˈiv/ us/ət͡ʃˈiv/
B1
English
~ 700
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B1
action
1
Successfully reach a goal
To finish something you wanted to do by working hard for it.
Usage pattern:
to achieve [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'achieve' with 'receive'. 'Achieve' means to reach a goal through effort, not to get something given to you.
Synonyms
accomplish (Slightly more formal; often used interchangeably but can suggest completing a task rather than reaching a broader goal.)
Antonyms
fail (Means to be unsuccessful in reaching the intended goal.)
Collocations
achieve success
|achieve a goal
|achieve results
|achieve excellence
|achieve an objective
Themes
success
|work
|personal_development
|education
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She worked hard to achieve her dream of becoming a doctor.
- The company achieved record sales this year.
- He finally achieved his aim of running a marathon.
- The team achieved victory after months of training.
Learner examples
- I achieved my goal of learning English.
- She achieved good grades in school.
- They achieved first place in the race.
- We achieved our target for the month.
Verb
formal
B2
action
2
Reach a high standard or skill level
To become very good at something after working hard.
Usage pattern:
to achieve [a standard/level]
Common mistake:
Learners might use 'get' instead of 'achieve', but 'get' is less formal and less precise for standards or skill levels.
Synonyms
attain (Often used in formal contexts; can sound more elevated or literary.)
Antonyms
lose (In this context, means to no longer have the skill or standard once attained.)
Collocations
achieve fluency
|achieve mastery
|achieve competence
|achieve perfection
Themes
education
|sports
|career
|work
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She achieved fluency in Spanish within two years.
- The athlete achieved peak performance during the championship.
- He achieved mastery in playing the violin.
Learner examples
- I achieved fluency in French.
- She achieved a high score on the test.
- He achieved great skill in cooking.
Grammar
Dictionary form
achieve
IPA
GB/ət͡ʃˈiv/
US/ət͡ʃˈiv/
Syllables & stress
achieve (1 syllable)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: achieve
- 3rd Person Singular: achieves
- Present Participle: achieving
- Past: achieved
Word family
Forms
achieves
verb
achieving
verb
achieved
verb
Core family
achievement
noun B1
achievable
adjective B2
Related words
achiever
noun
Negative and opposite forms
unachievable
adjective
Advanced or less common
underachieve
verb
overachieve
verb
Expressions
achieve a goal
1/ət͡ʃˈiv ə ɡˈoʊl/
fixed phrase
Reach a planned objective
To do something you planned and worked for.
Examples
- He trained every day to achieve his goal of climbing Mount Everest.
- We achieved our goal of raising enough money for the project.
achieve excellence
1/ət͡ʃˈiv ˈɛksələns/
fixed phrase
formal
Reach the highest quality
To do something at the best possible level because you worked hard for it.
Examples
- The school aims to help students achieve excellence in all subjects.
- Through practice, she achieved excellence in piano performance.
achieve success
1/ət͡ʃˈiv səksˈɛs/
fixed phrase
Succeed through effort
To be successful because you worked hard for it.
Examples
- With determination, anyone can achieve success.
- She achieved success as a writer after years of rejection.