promising

American  

[prom-uh-sing] / ˈprɒm ə sɪŋ /

adjective

1. giving favorable promise; likely to turn out well.

   a promising young man; a promising situation.

   Synonyms:

   favorable

---

promising British  

/ ˈprɒmɪsɪŋ /

adjective

1. showing promise of favourable development or future success

---

Other Word Forms

• promisingly adverb
• promisingness noun

Etymology

Origin of promising

First recorded in 1505–15; promise + -ing ²

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."

Example Sentences

Monahon has prepared some promising dramatic notes, but the play’s larger vision still eludes her.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

One of the most promising aspects of this discovery is how easy it may be to apply in real-world treatments.

From Science Daily • Apr. 20, 2026

SpaceX’s Starlink Mobile is promising a similar service by the end of next year.

From Barron's • Apr. 20, 2026

He fought this election largely on domestic policies, promising to combat corruption, and restore stable government after years of weak and easily-toppled coalitions.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

I didn’t know what I was promising, Jonah wanted to argue.

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Related Words

• auspicious
• bright
• encouraging
• gifted
• talented
• up-and-coming