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.
In its place was a budding love for the search for truth and beauty that math was offering, and a sense of purpose and meaning that he had not felt before.
From Slate • May 2, 2026
But it was but one slop stop in his budding career.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026
He was part of a band in middle school that performed songs he wrote, while a budding songwriting career began in his university years.
From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026
In each region he visited, Magyar energized a budding grassroots campaign by urging Hungarians to start organizing “citizen circles” made up of Tisza volunteers pushing for change.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026
A reminder of a dream that was wilting even as it was budding.
From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini
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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.