Synonym Chooser

How is the word auspicious different from other adjectives like it?

The words favorable and propitious are common synonyms of auspicious. While all three words mean "pointing toward a happy outcome," auspicious applies to something taken as a sign or omen promising success before or at the start of an event.

an auspicious beginning

In what contexts can favorable take the place of auspicious?

In some situations, the words favorable and auspicious are roughly equivalent. However, favorable implies that the persons involved are approving or helpful or that the circumstances are advantageous.

favorable weather conditions

When would propitious be a good substitute for auspicious?

The synonyms propitious and auspicious are sometimes interchangeable, but propitious may also apply to beginnings but often implies a continuing favorable condition.

a propitious time for starting a business

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of auspicious Peru faced multiple crises in the later 1980s and Fujimori ran at a particularly auspicious moment. Stephanie McNulty & Sarah Chartock / Made By History, TIME, 10 Oct. 2024 November will be auspicious and for more reasons than one. Valerie Mesa, People.com, 1 Nov. 2024 Readers were advised that certain marks are auspicious. The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 30 Oct. 2024 On this auspicious Saint Laurent evening, Kravitz opted for a sleveless black satin shirt with a giant Oliver Wilde bow spilling down the front, topped with a long Keanu-Reeves-ish Matrix greatcoat. Guy Martin, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for auspicious 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for auspicious
Adjective
  • Nearly two decades later, after discussing a promising new investigative technique called genetic genealogy at a family reunion, Jack searched online for genetic genealogists and learned about CeCe Moore, a pioneering DNA sleuth who, at that time, had helped to solve dozens of cases.
    KC Baker, People.com, 27 Nov. 2024
  • For years, overshadowed by its neighboring emirates of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) is now stepping into the spotlight as one of the UAE’s most promising real estate hotspots for property investors.
    Arash Jalili, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • The filing also details the company's legal proceedings, including a favorable judgment in a trademark infringement lawsuit.
    Quartz Bot, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024
  • Overnight and into Monday morning, fire crews took advantage of favorable conditions, building up the containment line around the blaze.
    Patrick Smith, NBC News, 12 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • To be clear, Europe has plenty of strong universities and bright minds, but its draconian laws stifle its own growth.
    Frank Holmes, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
  • Of all my habits, the one most crucial for my survival has been my awareness that there is no diamond as bright as me.
    Essence, Essence, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • But Jia En’s encouraging news is rejected by Adik, whose self-destructive impulses and lingering anger over past events trigger a tragedy that forces the brothers to flee their home and become fugitives.
    Richard Kuipers, Variety, 19 Nov. 2024
  • So having empirical evidence of a method that works, even in just some situations, is encouraging.
    Stephen Ornes, Quanta Magazine, 8 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Despite a bike bust in the years after the pandemic, both are optimistic about the industry’s future.
    Max Scheinblum, The Denver Post, 13 Nov. 2024
  • Our data is optimistic, but the politics is uncertain.
    James Morton Turner, Discover Magazine, 9 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • The essence of modern economic development is the continuing augmentation of human potential and a propitious business climate, framed by policies and institutions that help unlock the value in human beings.
    Nicholas Eberstadt, Foreign Affairs, 10 Oct. 2024
  • The best Spurs coverage in Alamo City, delivered to your inbox The player who had posted such a propitious rookie season by simply playing on instinct looked lost.
    Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 2 Oct. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Auspicious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/auspicious. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

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