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.
The government is promising to reduce the practice by 25% before the next election to ensure children are not held unless public protection requires it.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
"The results provide a promising foundation for the development of future diagnostic methods, as Glycan Atlasing delivers reliable results even in complex samples," explains Möckl, the study leader and corresponding author.
From Science Daily • May 18, 2026
NextEra and Dominion say it will take 12 to 18 months to close the deal, and they’re already on the charm offensive, promising lower costs, greater charitable giving, and employment commitments for Dominion’s existing workers.
From Barron's • May 18, 2026
The track record isn’t promising, according to Karim Marshall, director of climate and energy policy at the Consumer Federation of America.
From MarketWatch • May 18, 2026
I'm going after the hard-to-reach places behind the radiator when the independent counsel arrives, promising that if I cooperate, I won't have to go to jail.
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.
