prepossessing

American  

[pree-puh-zes-ing] / ˌpri pəˈzɛs ɪŋ /

adjective

1. that impresses favorably; engaging or attractive.

   a confident and prepossessing young man.

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prepossessing British  

/ ˌpriːpəˈzɛsɪŋ /

adjective

1. creating a favourable impression; attractive

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Other Word Forms

• prepossessingly adverb
• prepossessingness noun
• unprepossessing adjective
• unprepossessingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of prepossessing

First recorded in 1635–45; prepossess + -ing ²

Example Sentences

He was not a physically prepossessing young fellow.

From New York Times

Even the British explorer Sir Richard Francis Burton wasn’t immune: “Truly prepossessing was our first view of the then mysterious island of Zanzibar,” he wrote in “Zanzibar: City, Island, and Coast” in 1872.

From New York Times

McLEAN, Va. — The campaign manager spoke about her candidate’s race with a veteran’s prepossessing self-assurance.

From New York Times

She was by all accounts a prepossessing woman, with flaxen, pompadoured hair and blue eyes.

From Washington Post

Neatly depicting a prepossessing waiter, Ben Houghton also occasionally tinkles away at a grand piano and lends his tenor voice to several Coward songs such as “If Love Were All.”

From New York Times