succès fou

[ syk-se foo ]

noun

, French.

1. an extraordinarily great success.

succès fou

/ syksɛ fu /

noun

1. a fantastic success

Word History and Origins

Origin of succès fou¹

literally: mad success

Example Sentences

A novel in the guise of a confession, it was taken by many American readers as a confession in the guise of a novel: Portnoy became an immediate bestseller and a succès fou.

From The Guardian

Now, however, with dogged “the show must go on” determination, we have a succès fou.

From The Guardian

The largely French audience was expecting un succès fou, and they got one—but not the one they expected.

From Slate

Another scandalous novel, It's Me, Eddie, enjoyed a succès fou.

From The Guardian

René Lalique, the company’s founder, was an internationally celebrated jeweler—his Art Nouveau brooches were a succès fou at the Paris World’s Fair of 1900—before he began experimenting with perfume bottles, vases, and architectural ornamentation.

From Architectural Digest