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promising
/ˈprɒmɪsɪŋ/
showing potential
She got a promising job offer after the interview.
The job offer suggests she has good potential.
general
showing signs of being good or successful in the future
The startup's new product looks very promising.
The startup's new product appears to have good future prospects.
He's a promising young athlete.
He shows great potential as a young athlete.
Commonly used to describe people, projects, or ideas with potential.
Collocations
promising starta good beginningpromising futurelikely to succeed in the futurepromising talentsomeone with potential
Antonyms
Pro Tip
Common mistake: Confusing 'promising' with 'promised'
'Promising' describes potential (e.g., 'a promising student'), while 'promised' describes a commitment (e.g., 'She promised to help').
Gold Rule
Use 'promising' for future potential
Always use 'promising' to describe something that shows signs of future success, not something that has already succeeded.
Word Origin
From the verb 'promise' (from Latin 'promissus', past participle of 'promittere' meaning 'to send forth') with the suffix '-ing' indicating the present participle form. First recorded in English in the 16th century.
Usage Notes
Used to describe something or someone that shows signs of future success or improvement. Often used in professional or academic contexts to evaluate potential.
Word Breakdown
promise
to indicate something will happen
root-ing
present participle suffix
suffixEnglish Dictionary