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

Lewis had a promising start to his career, going 20-12 in 2022-23 but won fewer games each of his final three seasons, culminating in a career worst 12-19 mark this season. —Sportsday Staff, Dallas Morning News, 19 Mar. 2026

Companies must prioritize candidates that fit their strategy and offer the strongest return — which means many promising therapies never move forward. —Annette Bakker, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026

Researchers say the comments overstate current evidence about the real and promising role that food can play in managing illness. —ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026

With the growing demand for advanced Li-ion batteries, silicon has emerged as a promising alternative to traditional graphite anodes due of its higher theoretical capacity. —Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 18 Mar. 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