promising
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- promisingly adverb
- promisingness noun
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!
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Are You Ready to Hatch an Unusual Chicken?
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Honestly Elliott
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Monahon has prepared some promising dramatic notes, but the play’s larger vision still eludes her.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026
And another product that pointed to a promising future—the Vision Pro augmented-reality headset—has yet to wow the masses.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026
The material's responsiveness also makes it promising for use in photonic circuits and nanoscale sensors.
From Science Daily • Apr. 21, 2026
SpaceX’s Starlink Mobile is promising a similar service by the end of next year.
From Barron's • Apr. 20, 2026
The involvement of fortune-tellers was not a promising sign for the investigation.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
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.
