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Synonyms

budding

British  
/ ˈbʌdɪŋ /

adjective

  1. at an early stage of development but showing promise or potential

    a budding genius
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
budding Scientific  
/ bŭd′ĭng /

  1. A form of asexual reproduction in living organisms in which new individuals form from outgrowths (buds) on the bodies of mature organisms. These outgrowths grow by means of mitotic cell division. Many simple multicellular animals such as hydras and unicellular organisms such as yeasts reproduce by budding.

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.

A measure of prices, meanwhile, leapt to a three-year high in a sign of budding inflation.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

Doncic hit daring fadeaway three-pointers, threw sky-high lobs to teammates and nailed a dramatic winning shot against the Nuggets at home to add cinematic highlights to his budding most valuable player case.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 22, 2026

After Scotty’s death, Ledger became a staple in Diem’s life, and the budding romance with Kenna tangles everyone into a gnarled knot of low-stakes deception and drama.

From Salon • Mar. 19, 2026

Gen Z shoppers are hanging out at malls and documenting everything on social media, helping boost a budding recovery in stores.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 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.