# promising

/ˈpɹɑməsɪŋ/ (US) · /pɹˈɒmɪsɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/promising
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. likely to succeed

adjective · CEFR B1

showing signs that something will be successful or very good in the future.

For teachers: indicating a high probability of future success or positive development.

- The young tennis player had a very promising start to her career.
- Initial results from the clinical trial are promising, suggesting that the new treatment may be significantly more effective than existing options.

### 2. making a vow

verb · CEFR A2

the action of telling someone you will definitely do something.

For teachers: the present participle of 'promise', used in continuous tenses to indicate the act of giving an assurance.

- He is promising to finish the work by tomorrow morning.
- The politician spent the afternoon promising major infrastructure improvements to the local residents in exchange for their support.

### 3. the act of vowing

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

the act of making a promise to someone.

For teachers: the gerund form representing the act of making a solemn or formal declaration.

- The promising of gifts is a common tradition during the festival.
- The mere promising of reform was no longer enough to satisfy the protesters, who demanded immediate legislative action.

## Examples

- The young pianist gave a very promising performance.
- Initial results from the clinical trial are promising, suggesting the new treatment could be effective for many patients.
- Despite the volatile market, the startup's first quarter showed promising growth, attracting significant interest from venture capitalists looking for long-term stability.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.