unpromising

[uhn-prom-uh-sing]

adjective

1. unlikely to be favorable or successful, as the weather, a situation, or a career.

unpromising

/ ʌnˈprɒmɪsɪŋ /

adjective

1. not showing any promise of favourable development or future success

Other Word Forms

• unpromisingly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of unpromising¹

First recorded in 1625–35; un- ¹ + promising

Example Sentences

The port of L.A. has come far from its unpromising beginnings.

From Los Angeles Times

It was an unpromising start, and things only got worse from there.

From BBC

But it’s too striking a shot to dismiss as self-conscious or unpromisingly stern.

From Seattle Times

The talks must now sputter on in that unpromising spirit — toward the brink of an unprecedented federal default, and perhaps beyond.

From Los Angeles Times

From this unpromising site have risen stacks of factory-built steel modules punctuated by little green spaces.

From New York Times

Related Words

• apocalyptic 
• dangerous 
• dark 
• dire 
• dismal 
• gloomy 
• grim 
• haunting 
• perilous 
• portentous 
• prophetic 
• sinister 
• threatening