1
as in bright
having qualities which inspire hope
a promising writer who just may write the great American novel someday
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in encouraging
pointing toward a happy outcome
all the signs for the new business are promising
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in vowing
to make a solemn declaration of intent
they promised to keep in touch with us after they moved away
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2
as in predicting
to show signs of a favorable or successful outcome
given the cast, the new sitcom promises to be an excellent show
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Examples of promising in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Tyler Shepherd, USA TODAY, 16 Oct. 2024
Experiments in mice have shown promising results, with mucosal immunity established after administration of the vaccine.
—Stephani Sutherland, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2024
The anniversary special proved to be a promising holdover, surpassing more than 12.9 million in overall reach.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2024
For decades, an icy moon of Jupiter has been considered one of the most promising places to search for extraterrestrial life in the solar system.
—Denise Chow, NBC News, 14 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for promising 
Adjective
It will be awarded annually to a leading scientist or team making the most promising advancements in pancreatic cancer research, treatment and cures.
—Tyler Shepherd, USA TODAY, 16 Oct. 2024
Experiments in mice have shown promising results, with mucosal immunity established after administration of the vaccine.
—Stephani Sutherland, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2024
The anniversary special proved to be a promising holdover, surpassing more than 12.9 million in overall reach.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2024
For decades, an icy moon of Jupiter has been considered one of the most promising places to search for extraterrestrial life in the solar system.
—Denise Chow, NBC News, 14 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for promising
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'promising.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Promising.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/promising. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
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