- 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.
Going on hiatus to serve in the military is often a threat for budding careers in South Korea's fast-moving entertainment industry.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
The “Choosin’ Texas” country music breakout is now reportedly in a budding romance with Tucker Wetmore, also a musician.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026
So is Adeline Rudolph as Renee Birdwhistle, the secretary at Neagley’s detective agency and budding sleuth who rises to each treacherous occasion with remarkable—some might say unbelievable—skill.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
A franchise that used to cycle through mostly forgettable quarterbacks and relied on suffocating defense now hopes to win a Super Bowl by betting that its budding star can outscore just about anyone.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
“You’ll fit right in. You’ve done all the same assignments, plus extra reading and math. And you can type a hundred words a minute. And you’re a budding artist!”
From "Lucky Broken Girl" by Ruth Behar
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
