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Glite Dictionary
bumper success

bumper success

3.7
A very large win that brings much money or attention
  • noun
  • /ˈbʌmpər səkˈsɛs/
translation icon : éxito rotundo
  • The festival was a bumper success, attracting record crowds from around the region.

Examples

  • Thanks to perfect weather and careful planning, the harvest was a bumper success this year.

  • Her first novel proved to be a bumper success, selling thousands of copies in the first month.

  • The festival was a bumper success this year!

  • Last year's harvest resulted in a bumper success for local farmers.

  • Her first novel proved to be a bumper success, selling thousands of copies in the first month.

  • Thanks to perfect weather and careful planning, the harvest was a bumper success this year.

  • The festival was a bumper success, attracting record crowds from around the region.

Synonyms

bang
vsbumper success
  • US
77 4.4

An event that is very successful and impressive

emphasizes especially large overall outcomes rather than a single impressive event
strike
vsbumper success
53 4.1

A sudden success that gets a lot of attention

is about exceptionally large outcomes rather than merely attracting attention
huge success
vsbumper success
26 2.0

A very big result that makes many people very pleased

is chiefly used for exceptionally large outcomes like events or harvests
huge hit
vsbumper success
18 2.8

A product, show or event that is very successful and liked by many people

focuses more on very large measurable outcomes rather than popularity alone
bell ringer
vsbumper success
  • Informal
1 7.0

A very successful result that does exactly what it should

highlights very large outcomes rather than precise goal fulfillment
grand achievement
vsbumper success
1 3.9

An important success that shows great skill and effort

is used more for very large outcomes like events, harvests, or sales
smackeroo
vsbumper success
  • Informal
9.9

A very successful event or product that people praise

is a neutral phrase for an exceptionally large or positive outcome

Antonyms

failure
557 1.3

Not reaching what was planned or expected

disappointment
223 1.7

A feeling of sadness or being let down when something you wanted does not happen

How Successful

bumper success
3.7
huge success
26 2.0
success
∞ 1.0
failure
557 1.3

Surface Forms

bumper success singular
bumper successes plural

Morphology

bumper + success

Here 'bumper' is used adjectivally to mean 'very large' or 'abundant', so a learner who knows that sense can compositionally infer 'a very large/exceptional success' from 'bumper' + 'success'. However, the adjectival sense of 'bumper' is less frequent and the word is often known only as the car part, making the combination somewhat lexicalized and not fully predictable for an average B1 learner.

Etymology

Bumper success may come from the old word bumper, which meant a cup filled to the top. That idea of being full or extra large was used in bumper crop for a very big harvest, so bumper success now means 'a very big success'.