Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Likely to develop in a desirable manner.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Giving promise; affording just expectations of good; affording reasonable ground of hope for the future; looking as if likely to turn out well: as, a promising youth; a promising prospect.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Making a promise or promises; affording hope or assurance

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion.
  • adjective Encouraging and inspiring confidence.
  • verb Present participle of promise.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective showing possibility of achievement or excellence
  • adjective full or promise

Etymologies

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Examples

  • Across the divide, La Dorada shrieked at him, her expression promising pain.

    Dreams of a Dark Warrior Kresley Cole 2011

  • Across the divide, La Dorada shrieked at him, her expression promising pain.

    Dreams of a Dark Warrior Kresley Cole 2011

  • For a title promising Manhattan, there sure is a lack thereof in the finished product.

    Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989) 2010

  • However, investigators do say they are following several strong and what they called promising leads.

    CNN Transcript Mar 7, 2008 2008

  • President Bush today applauded what he calls a promising sign of progress by Iraq's leaders.

    CNN Transcript Aug 27, 2007 2007

  • President Bush today applauded what he calls a promising sign of progress by Iraq's leaders.

    CNN Transcript Aug 27, 2007 2007

  • It comes as U.S. military officials in Baghdad are touting what they call promising statistics showing a drop in violence over the past week.

    CNN Transcript Nov 2, 2006 2006

  • He ran a music conservatory in their hometown of Dusseldorf, and his first rat-like, rodent-like behavior came as a-- a result of his bringing home what he termed promising, young, female students -- home from the conservatory for what were termed, with raised eyebrows,

    The Inextinguishable Symphony 2001

  • Investigators pursued what they described as promising leads Wednesday in a chilling bombing attempt at a Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade in which someone left a backpack filled with sophisticated explosives on a bench.

    The Seattle Times 2011

  • Investigators pursued what they described as promising leads Wednesday in a chilling bombing attempt at a Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade in which someone left a backpack filled with sophisticated explosives on a bench.

    Kansas City Star: Front Page 2011

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