promising

adjective

prom·​is·​ing ˈprä-mə-siŋ 

: full of promise : likely to succeed or to yield good results

a promising new medicine

promisingly adverb

Synonyms of promising

• bright
• optimistic
• hopeful
• encouraging
• likely

Examples of promising in a Sentence

The neighborhood didn't look very promising.

a promising writer who just may write the great American novel someday

Recent Examples on the Web

In advanced materials, researchers are using computational tools to identify promising compounds in months rather than years. — Cyrus Wadia, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026

At the time, Oracle saw that state’s healthcare industry as a promising growth business. — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026

Los Angeles gave up three promising prospects for what might be a short-term rental of the 29-year-old Skubal, who will likely reap the benefits of free agency this winter. — ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026

In the latter deal, the company snagged TSND-201, a promising PTSD treatment made from an analog of MDMA. — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 11 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for promising

• unpromising

Kids Definition

promising

adjective

prom·​is·​ing

ˈpräm-ə-siŋ

: likely to turn out well

a promising student

promisingly

-siŋ-lē

adverb