unpromising
adjective
un·prom·is·ing
ˌən-ˈprä-mə-siŋ 
: appearing unlikely to prove worthwhile or result favorably
an unpromising beginning
Examples of unpromising in a Sentence
Things got off to an unpromising start.
She can do a lot with unpromising material.
Recent Examples on the Web
Johnson campaigned against an unpromising backdrop: nearly ten years of austerity cuts under successive Tory governments, doubts about his flamboyant character, and fratricidal division within his party over Brexit.
—
Pippa Norris, Foreign Affairs, 31 Jan. 2020
That led the Initiative in an unpromising direction.
—Steve Denning, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024
The impression that emerges from the book, by default, is that the author sees the world outside North America as a larger version of Antarctica: alien, uniform, unpromising, and harmless.
—Michael Mandelbaum, Foreign Affairs, 1 May 2010
Putting aside the disposable 2001 Tim Burton remake that got the 21st century Planet of the Apes franchise off to an unpromising start, the trilogy that followed found remarkable durability in material that dates back six decades to French author Pierre Boulle’s 1963 sci-fi novel.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for unpromising 
Pippa Norris, Foreign Affairs, 31 Jan. 2020
That led the Initiative in an unpromising direction.
—Steve Denning, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024
The impression that emerges from the book, by default, is that the author sees the world outside North America as a larger version of Antarctica: alien, uniform, unpromising, and harmless.
—Michael Mandelbaum, Foreign Affairs, 1 May 2010
Putting aside the disposable 2001 Tim Burton remake that got the 21st century Planet of the Apes franchise off to an unpromising start, the trilogy that followed found remarkable durability in material that dates back six decades to French author Pierre Boulle’s 1963 sci-fi novel.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for unpromising
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unpromising.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near unpromising
Cite this Entry
“Unpromising.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unpromising. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unpromising
adjective
un·prom·is·ing
ˌən-ˈpräm-ə-siŋ
ˈən-
: appearing unlikely to prove worthwhile or successful
unpromisingly
adverb
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