- present participle of bud.
budding
Britishadjective
Explanation
Something that is described as budding is growing brand new buds. A budding rose bush is getting ready to burst into bloom. If you are in a budding romance, it is also just about to burst into a new phase of excitement. Ooh la la. When a tree or flower is budding, it's showing signs of the branches and blossoms that will soon appear. The same is true of a person who's described as budding — if you're a budding filmmaker, you're new at making movies but already show great promise. Budding most likely comes from the Old French boter, "push forward or thrust."
Vocabulary lists containing budding
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
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Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
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Mexican WhiteBoy
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Those budding relationships with the Stormont parties were quickly tested as old arguments about funding for the executive resurfaced.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
Inside, we perfected our power snap—the subtle whipping motion at the end of the cast—with severed rod handles, looking more like budding wizards than fishermen.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026
Qualcomm is still priced as a smartphone and wireless-technology company with budding aspirations in other segments.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 25, 2026
“Teenagers get to test their budding independence,” she writes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026
Not much there for the budding writer either.
From "Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Myers
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
