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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  
/ bŭdĭng /
  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.


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."

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Vocabulary lists containing 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

Baby birds chirped from within the budding trees like nothing was out of the ordinary.

From "The Rock and the River" by Kekla Magoon