unpromising
adjective
un·prom·is·ing
ˌən-ˈprä-mə-siŋ 
: appearing unlikely to prove worthwhile or result favorably
an unpromising beginning
Examples of unpromising in a Sentence
Things got off to an unpromising start.
She can do a lot with unpromising material.
Recent Examples on the Web
In short, the future feels scary and unpromising.
—
Kian Bakhtiari, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
But no money was appropriated for reading reform beyond that amount, which would suggest an unpromising future for state support of reading reforms.
—Alan J. Borsuk, jsonline.com, 30 Aug. 2025
Adrift but alive, dad (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), daughter (Luna Blaise), daughter’s unpromising boyfriend (David Iacono) and daughter’s younger sister (Audrina Miranda) are rescued by the mercenaries’ expedition.
—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 1 July 2025
Australian gold The small town in Australia that’s spreading the story of Vegemite
04:50
Vegemite, an Australian delicacy with the unpromising base material of leftover brewers’ yeast, is so loved in the country there’s even a museum dedicated to it.
—Maureen O'Hare, CNN, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unpromising
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Kian Bakhtiari, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
But no money was appropriated for reading reform beyond that amount, which would suggest an unpromising future for state support of reading reforms.
—Alan J. Borsuk, jsonline.com, 30 Aug. 2025
Adrift but alive, dad (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), daughter (Luna Blaise), daughter’s unpromising boyfriend (David Iacono) and daughter’s younger sister (Audrina Miranda) are rescued by the mercenaries’ expedition.
—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 1 July 2025
Australian gold The small town in Australia that’s spreading the story of Vegemite
04:50
Vegemite, an Australian delicacy with the unpromising base material of leftover brewers’ yeast, is so loved in the country there’s even a museum dedicated to it.
—Maureen O'Hare, CNN, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unpromising
Cite this Entry
“Unpromising.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unpromising. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unpromising
adjective
un·prom·is·ing
ˌən-ˈpräm-ə-siŋ
ˈən-
: appearing unlikely to prove worthwhile or successful
unpromisingly
adverb
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share