auspicious

adjective aus·pi·cious \ȯ-ˈspi-shəs\

: showing or suggesting that future success is likely

Full Definition of AUSPICIOUS

: showing or suggesting that future success is likely : propitious <made an auspicious beginning>

: attended by good fortune : prosperous <an auspicious year>

— aus·pi·cious·ly adverb

— aus·pi·cious·ness noun

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Examples of AUSPICIOUS

After his auspicious debut, Chambers became sought after by serious collectors of folk art; but given that the present show is now only the second he has had and is the first retrospective look at him, he is probably as obscure to the general museum going public today as he was in 1942. —Sanford Schwartz, New York Review of Books, 15 Jan. 2009
There is, first of all, Marconi himself, the 21-year-old prodigy who burst on London with his gizmo in 1896. This wasn't the most auspicious moment for a half-Irish, half-Italian unknown to announce that he had bested some of the empire's greatest scientific minds. —Kevin Baker, New York Times Book Review, 5 Nov. 2006
Indeed, it hardly seems like an auspicious time to introduce a brand of cigarettes, especially for tiny Star, which accounts for just over 1 percent of the U.S. market with its four brands of discount smokes. —David Noonan, Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2000
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Origin of AUSPICIOUS

(see auspice)

First Known Use: 1593

Related to AUSPICIOUS

Synonyms: hopeful, bright, encouraging, fair, golden, heartening, likely, optimistic, promising, propitious, roseate, rose-colored, rosy, upbeat

Antonyms: bleak, dark, depressing, desperate, discouraging, disheartening, dismal, downbeat, dreary, gloomy, hopeless, inauspicious, pessimistic, unencouraging, unlikely, unpromising, unpropitious

Synonym Discussion of AUSPICIOUS

favorable, auspicious, propitious mean pointing toward a happy outcome. favorable implies that the persons involved are approving or helpful or that the circumstances are advantageous <favorable weather conditions>. auspicious applies to something taken as a sign or omen promising success before or at the start of an event <an auspicious beginning>. propitious may also apply to beginnings but often implies a continuing favorable condition <a propitious time for starting a business>.