promising

1 of 2

adjective

prom·​is·​ing ˈprä-mə-siŋ 

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

a promising new medicine

promisingly adverb

promising

2 of 2

present participle of promise entry 2

Synonyms of promising

Adjective

• bright
• optimistic
• hopeful
• encouraging
• likely

Examples of promising in a Sentence

Adjective

The neighborhood didn't look very promising.

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

So if the technology is so promising, why can’t MV Yampa go 100% electric right now? — New Atlas, 16 Sep. 2026

After making her way to Hollywood in the late 1950s, native Ohioan Majel Leigh Hodak launched a promising acting career that eventually included early roles in films like Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? — Scott Huver, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026

Consolidating supplier, contract and spend data into a single source of truth turns an agent from a promising tool into a usable one. — Alex Saric, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026

Jon Sumrall is off to a promising start at Florida, but those blowout wins have come against FAU and Campbell. — Antonio Morales, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

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