1
as in bright
having qualities which inspire hope
a promising writer who just may write the great American novel someday
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in encouraging
pointing toward a happy outcome
all the signs for the new business are promising
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in vowing
to make a solemn declaration of intent
they promised to keep in touch with us after they moved away
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in predicting
to show signs of a favorable or successful outcome
given the cast, the new sitcom promises to be an excellent show
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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show current usage.
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Recent Examples of promising
Kansas City Star, 6 Feb. 2026
Faith’s album itself was an editor’s pick for THR’s favorite albums of 2025 and was one of the most promising projects of last year to come out of Nashville’s up-and-comers.
—Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 6 Feb. 2026
Sarah Dahlberg, NBC news, 8 Feb. 2026
The party also has gained the reputation as a celebrity hotspot, promising the possibility that attendees might get to spot star athletes, rappers, film and TV A-listers and top influencers, given that they’ve been invited to the party to add star wattage.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for promising
Adjective
This time around, the scheme is far more steeped in data and appears much more promising.
—Kansas City Star, 6 Feb. 2026
Faith’s album itself was an editor’s pick for THR’s favorite albums of 2025 and was one of the most promising projects of last year to come out of Nashville’s up-and-comers.
—Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 6 Feb. 2026
Verb
Thirty-five years since the two women hung up the phone on an early morning in January, promising to check in again in the afternoon.
—Sarah Dahlberg, NBC news, 8 Feb. 2026
The party also has gained the reputation as a celebrity hotspot, promising the possibility that attendees might get to spot star athletes, rappers, film and TV A-listers and top influencers, given that they’ve been invited to the party to add star wattage.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for promising
Recent Examples of Synonyms for promising
Adjective
-
Statues of prominent citizens line the route, many missing heads or limbs, while religious and civic buildings once painted in bright colors now appear butter-yellow.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Despite the loss, the future is bright for the Patriots and but first there's the reaction from after the Super Bowl.—
Will Richmond,
The Providence Journal,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
His manner, at least, is encouraging.—
Robert Lloyd,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2026
-
There were a lot of encouraging signs.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Iran’s foreign minister struck a hard-line tone Sunday, vowing Tehran will maintain its uranium enrichment program despite Western pressure.—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2026
-
There’s been a surge of TikTok videos of people vowing to delete social media apps in 2026 and engage more with in-person and analog hobbies.—
Sawdah Bhaimiya,
CNBC,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
This was broadly in line with what polls had suggested, with Nikkei and Asahi Shimbun predicting that the LDP and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party would secure more then 300 seats in the Lower House.—
CNBC.com staff,
CNBC,
8 Feb. 2026
-
The article also studied potential predicting factors of long-term concussion symptoms.—
Jillian Pretzel,
Parents,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Instacart, on the other hand, reported strong revenue for its most recent period and issued an optimistic forecast for its first quarter.—
Josephine Rozzelle,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Operators remain cautiously optimistic, even as rising costs and softer traffic persist.—
Pamela McLoughlin,
Hartford Courant,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Another option would be converting a pair of their two-way players to team-favorable standard contracts, perhaps Myron Gardner and Jahmir Young, and then backfilling their two-way spots, with two-way players allowed to be signed until March 4.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The pick coming back to Denver will be the least favorable of the Clippers’ and Hawks’ second-rounders this year.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Still, in general, experts agree that many people find swearing rude and disrespectful, so with kids of any age, parents should do their best to model socially-acceptable language and discuss the potential present and future impact of using dicey words.—
Melissa Willets,
Parents,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The Milwaukee-area refugees passed their naturalization exams and were days away from swearing allegiance to the United States at an oath ceremony.—
Sophie Carson,
jsonline.com,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
New state regulations approved this month are set to significantly reshape California's cardroom industry, with operators warning the changes would effectively outlaw blackjack-style games from within those facilities.—
Charlie Lapastora,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
-
El Dorado County Sheriff’s officials are warning residents after a man impersonating a deputy pulled over and assaulted a driver last week on a county road before the driver used bear spray to get away.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Promising.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/promising. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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