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Synonyms

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

"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

Other Word Forms

  • promisingly adverb
  • promisingness noun

Etymology

Origin of promising

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

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.

Of course, there is always the chance that promising new developments could lead to a “V-shaped” bottom for stocks, Hunter noted.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

This season, Air Force has found another tall, promising prospect in 6-5 Malakye Matsumoto from Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

Greenwood was seen as one of United's most promising young players when, at the age of 20, he was arrested in January 2022.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

By early 2020, Exxon scientists were concerned about the viability of the program because they were struggling to replicate promising lab results in outdoor ponds where algae was exposed to nature.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

I left: promising to enroll in a French class and then forgot that promise as soon my plane landed back in New York.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

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.