He's going to make it vs Succeed

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

He's going to make it

Top 5,000 (fairly common)

Succeed

Top 1,000 (very common)A2verb
Most common: Succeed
 He's going to make itSucceed
Pronunciation🇬🇧 //hiːz ˈgəʊɪŋ tə meɪk ɪt//🇺🇸 //hiz ˈɡoʊɪŋ tə meɪk ɪt//🇬🇧 /["/səkˈsiːd/","/səkˈsiːdz/","/səkˈsiːdɪd/","/səkˈsiːdɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/səkˈsiːd/","/səkˈsiːdz/","/səkˈsiːdɪd/","/səkˈsiːdɪŋ/"]/
MeaningHe will succeed or achieve something.to do well or to reach a goal
ExampleDespite the challenges, I believe he's going to make it.If you work hard, you will succeed in your goals.
RegisterNeutralNeutral
How commonTop 5,000 (fairly common)Top 1,000 (very common)
CEFR level-A2
Part of speechverb
Collocationsgoing to make it, make it happen, make it through, make it work, make it in lifeadmirably, beautifully, brilliantly, be likely to, be unlikely to, be determined to, against, at, in, admirably, beautifully, brilliantly, be likely to, be unlikely to, be determined to, against, at, in, appoint somebody to, elect somebody to, be tipped to, as, to, appoint somebody to, elect somebody to, be tipped to, as, to
Antonyms-fail, stop, flop
Common mistakesConfusing with 'He's going to do it', which is less certain., Using 'going to' with indefinite subjects when it's specific., Incorrectly implying failure instead of success.Confused with 'succeed in' vs 'succeed at', Using 'succeed' without an object or context, Incorrectly conjugating with 'succeeded' in future tense
Usage notesUsed to express confidence in someone's future success. Informal settings are common; avoid in overly formal contexts.Use 'succeed' in general situations where someone achieves their aims. More common in neutral contexts than in formal discussions. Avoid using in overly casual settings.

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He's going to make it
Succeed

Frequently asked questions: He's going to make it vs Succeed

What's the difference between He's going to make it and Succeed?

He's going to make it: He will succeed or achieve something. Succeed: to do well or to reach a goal

Which is more common: He's going to make it and Succeed?

Succeed is the most common in everyday English.

Can you show an example of each?

He's going to make it: Despite the challenges, I believe he's going to make it. Succeed: If you work hard, you will succeed in your goals.

Can I use He's going to make it and Succeed interchangeably?

Not always. He's going to make it and Succeed are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.

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