promising
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of promising
Explanation
Promising things are encouraging or hopeful — they give you every sign that they'll be successful in the future. A promising early spring hints that the rest of the season will be warm and full of flowers. A promising ballet dancer is young, but off to a very talented start. If you pick up a novel in a bookstore and the first few pages look promising, you'll probably buy it. Promising things are full of promise, "an indication that something will occur." The Latin root is promittere, "put forth," from pro-, "forward," and mittere, "send."
Vocabulary lists containing promising
Shine On, Luz Véliz!
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Are You Ready to Hatch an Unusual Chicken?
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Honestly Elliott
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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.
Environmental Protection Agency administrator, said the new development was promising.
From Los Angeles Times • May 24, 2026
Now Gordon rushed to have it “unpublished,” promising any sales from the remaining stock would go to charity.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 24, 2026
"And there are promising lithium-rich brines, like those in California's Salton Sea, where this method simply can't be used at all."
From Science Daily • May 23, 2026
Videogames, with their virtual worlds and continuous decision-making, were one promising avenue.
From MarketWatch • May 23, 2026
Of course, I understand that he needs my help, even though I don’t remember promising to help the way he seems to think I did.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
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.
