Standard Lemma guide

promising

adj · noun · verb · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American: /ˈpɹɑmɪsɪŋ/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈpɹɒmɪsɪŋ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: P R AA1 M AH0 S IH0 NG Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • a promising young apprentice

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Encouraging and inspiring confidence.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The act of making a promise.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

present participle and gerund of promise

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, gerund, participle, present

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

full or promise

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • had a bright future in publishing
  • the scandal threatened an abrupt end to a promising political career
  • a hopeful new singer on Broadway

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bright, hopeful

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective satellite

Meaning 6

showing possibility of achievement or excellence

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a promising young man

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

43 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: խոստումնալից (xostumnalicʻ) — showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion
  • Belarusian: шматабяца́ючы (šmatabjacájučy) — showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion
  • Belarusian: многаабяца́ючы (mnohaabjacájučy) — showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion
  • Bulgarian: (много)обещаващ — showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion
  • Catalan: prometedor — showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion
  • Chinese Mandarin: 有為 /有为 (yǒuwéi) — showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion
  • Chinese Mandarin: 有望 (yǒuwàng) — showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion
  • Czech: slibný — showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion
  • Czech: nadějný — showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion
  • Dutch: hoopgevend — showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion
  • Dutch: veelbelovend — showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion
  • Esperanto: promesanta — showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion
  • Finnish: lupaava — showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion
  • French: prometteur — showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion
  • German: vielversprechend — showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion
  • German: erfolgsversprechend — showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion
  • Hindi: होनहार (honhār) — showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion
  • Hungarian: ígéretes — showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion
  • Hungarian: biztató — showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion
  • Hungarian: reményteli — showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion
  • Hungarian: reménykeltő — showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion
  • Hungarian: sokat ígérő — showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion
  • Irish: tréitheach — showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion
  • Italian: incoraggiante — showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion
  • Italian: promettente — showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion
  • Japanese: 有望な (yūbō-na) — showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion
  • Japanese: 有為な (yūi-na) — showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion
  • Korean: 약속하는 (yaksokhaneun) — showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion
  • Latin: magnae speī — showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion
  • Norwegian Bokmål: lovende — showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion
  • Portuguese: promissor — showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion
  • Russian: многообеща́ющий (mnogoobeščájuščij) — showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion
  • Russian: перспекти́вный (perspektívnyj) — showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion
  • Scottish Gaelic: gealltanach — showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion
  • Scottish Gaelic: dòchasach — showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion
  • Spanish: prometedor — showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion
  • Spanish: halagüeño — showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion
  • Spanish: prometiente — showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion
  • Swedish: lovande — showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion
  • Swedish: löftesrik — showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion
  • Ukrainian: багатообіця́ючий (bahatoobicjájučyj) — showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion
  • Ukrainian: багатообіця́льний (bahatoobicjálʹnyj) — showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion
  • Ukrainian: перспекти́вний (perspektývnyj) — showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion
Real reading context

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