Definition of auspiciousnext

Synonym Chooser

How is the word auspicious different from other adjectives like it?

The words favorable and propitious are common synonyms of auspicious. While all three words mean "pointing toward a happy outcome," auspicious applies to something taken as a sign or omen promising success before or at the start of an event.

an auspicious beginning

In what contexts can favorable take the place of auspicious?

In some situations, the words favorable and auspicious are roughly equivalent. However, favorable implies that the persons involved are approving or helpful or that the circumstances are advantageous.

favorable weather conditions

When would propitious be a good substitute for auspicious?

The synonyms propitious and auspicious are sometimes interchangeable, but propitious may also apply to beginnings but often implies a continuing favorable condition.

a propitious time for starting a business

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of auspicious But the vast majority of the crowd was Venezuelan and came to celebrate their country with auspicious hope, raucous revelry, and, of course, baseball. Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 11 Mar. 2026 Privacy is vital as auspicious Jupiter stations direct in your shy 12th house. Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 10 Mar. 2026 Our first meeting was not auspicious. Maer Roshan, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026 Even for auspicious houseplants like orchids, used as a symbol of abundance and prosperity, prices were slashed by as much as 40% from last year. ABC News, 2 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for auspicious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for auspicious
Adjective
  • This was the approach that, a little more than a decade ago, surfaced a promising new kind of malaria drug that entered clinical trials first in South Africa and then in Ethiopia.
    Ari Daniel, NPR, 22 Mar. 2026
  • This work highlights a promising path for precisely tuning material stiffness and shaping mechanical properties on demand.
    Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Moreover, such an action risks preventing favorable conditions for a historic dialogue between the governments of the two countries, which are both united by a desire to disarm Hezbollah and strengthen Lebanon’s state capacities.
    Asher Kaufman, The Conversation, 20 Mar. 2026
  • So, whether you're drawn to the accessibility of a gold ETF, the tangibility of coins or bars or the tax advantages of a gold IRA, the current dip may offer a more favorable entry point than the market provided just weeks ago.
    Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • This warmer weather refresh of chicken and biscuits shakes up both the filling and topping for a lighter and brighter take on the classic.
    Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Mar. 2026
  • For generations in Korea, people saved the milky water left over from rinsing rice and used it as a simple beauty treatment to make skin look brighter and smoother.
    Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Consider signing up for a short class or workshop that could stretch your thinking and connect you with encouraging voices.
    Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2026
  • Still, wanting to be a team player, Anthony is warm, friendly, and offers an encouraging word to the future CEO — despite Dougie’s obvious nerves and his random outbursts in Jamaican Patois.
    Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • This means that previous modelling was likely overly optimistic of engine performance, and reveals that real engines will like underperform with existing designs.
    Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 21 Mar. 2026
  • And many borrowers began the year cautiously optimistic that the momentum would continue.
    Matt Richardson, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • The circumstances in which many creative efforts arise are rarely propitious.
    Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 13 Feb. 2026
  • The book has recently been reissued at what feels like a propitious moment, when modern treatments of Greek myth proliferate, many of them adapting stories about destiny and order for a chaotic and individualistic time.
    Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 5 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Auspicious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/auspicious. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.

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