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 This promises to be a rare, auspicious and energetic year representing power, strength and dramatic transformation. Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2026 Driven out of the family mansion, mother and child relocate to the less auspicious Belleville, New Jersey — one of the film’s few genuinely funny touches — where Mary whiles away her days in the employ of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 27 Feb. 2026 What are you supposed to do during this auspicious holiday? Cnn Staff, CNN Money, 18 Feb. 2026 Dog 2018, 2006, 1994, 1982, 1970, 1958, 1946 Because of their auspicious relationship with the Horse, Dogs are one of the luckiest signs this year. Kyle Lucia Wu, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for auspicious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for auspicious
Adjective
  • Helen is said to have sacrificed a promising acting career to star in her husband’s films and raise their kids, adding an interesting wrinkle to Ula’s dilemma about breaking the news of her next gig to her parents.
    Stephen Saito, Variety, 15 Mar. 2026
  • The most promising should be the white-collar grouping of professional and business services employment, which has been showing signs of improvement after three years of job shedding.
    Conor Sen, Twin Cities, 15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Clearly, new coach John Harbaugh had a favorable assessment of Neal from the 2022 draft process when the Alabama lineman was viewed as a top prospect.
    Dan Duggan, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026
  • Borrowers with good credit and steady income have the most options, including debt consolidation programs with favorable terms.
    Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Often called the Butterfly Nebula or the Bug Nebula, this object displays a striking structure involving two bright gas lobes extending in opposite directions, separated by a thick, dusty ring—known as a torus—around the central star.
    Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 15 Mar. 2026
  • Penny is a truly bright light in the classroom, bringing a genuine joy and curiosity to her daily practice.
    Heide Janssen, Oc Register, 15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Whether that’s more encouraging or concerning is up to you.
    Gabby Herzig, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2026
  • There was a pervasive sense among the workers that the government was ignoring—if not outright encouraging—violence against white farmers.
    Boyce Upholt, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • That prognostication now appears wildly optimistic.
    David Goldman, CNN Money, 13 Mar. 2026
  • Reynolds spoke to the Broward School Board in October and voiced a more optimistic outlook for the three unions that represent school district employees.
    Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel, 13 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 17 Mar. 2026.

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