unpromisingly

unpromisingly — adverb

1. in a way that suggests something is not likely to be successful, enjoyable, or w

1.adverbC1
Definition

in a way that suggests something is not likely to be successful, enjoyable, or worthwhile — for example, starting a project badly, or the weather looking bad before an outdoor event.

Example

The weather looked unpromisingly grey on the morning of their beach trip.

adverb before adjective: unpromisingly + [adjective]

Karim's first attempt at pottery began unpromisingly, with the clay collapsing on the wheel.

verb + unpromisingly: began unpromisingly

Common collocations
  • begin unpromisingly
  • start unpromisingly
  • look unpromisingly
  • unpromisingly grey
  • unpromisingly slow
Synonyms
  • discouragingly

    stronger emotional focus — emphasises that something reduces hope or motivation

  • inauspiciously

    more formal and literary; suggests bad omens at the start of an enterprise

  • unfavorably

    broader and more neutral; can describe any condition that is not advantageous

Antonyms
  • promisingly

    direct opposite — in a way that suggests future success

  • auspiciously

    formal opposite — in a way that suggests good fortune ahead

Grammar Patterns

unpromisingly + adjective

verb + unpromisingly

unpromisingly , [clause]

Usage Note

Commonly modifies verbs like 'begin', 'start', 'look', or adjectives describing unfavorable conditions. Often found at the beginning or end of a sentence when used as a sentence adverb.

Common Mistakes

He unpromisingly looked at the sky.
The sky looked unpromisingly dark.
'unpromisingly' describes the appearance or start of something, not a person's action of looking.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

'Unpromisingly' describes a situation that offers little reason to expect a good outcome — it is factual, not emotional. 'Discouragingly' adds a layer of human reaction: the situation actively reduces someone's motivation ('Discouragingly, the team fell further behind'). 'Unfavorably' is the most neutral and broadest, describing any condition that is not to one's advantage ('the terms were unfavorably weighted toward the landlord'). 'Inauspiciously' is a formal, often literary word that invokes the idea of bad omens at the very start ('The voyage began inauspiciously, with a broken mast'). 'Ominously' carries a stronger sense of threat or danger ('The sky turned ominously green'), whereas 'unpromisingly' is milder — it signals disappointment rather than peril.

discouragingly ↗unfavorably ↗inauspiciouslyominously ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

  • rather unpromisingly
  • somewhat unpromisingly
  • most unpromisingly

Phrases

  • begin unpromisingly
  • start unpromisingly
  • get off to an unpromising start

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Formed from 'unpromising' (the adjective, which itself is 'un-' + 'promising') plus the adverbial suffix '-ly'. 'Promise' traces back through Old French 'promesse' to Latin 'promittere' — 'pro-' (forward, forth) + 'mittere' (to send), literally 'to send forth'. The sense of 'promising' meaning 'showing signs of future success' dates from the early 17th century. Adding 'un-' reverses that meaning, and '-ly' turns the adjective into an adverb describing the manner or appearance of something.

First known use

1640

1640, in the meaning defined above