Prominent vs They're both promising

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

Prominent

Top 2,000 (common)C1adjective

They're both promising

Top 2,000 (common)
 ProminentThey're both promising
Pronunciation🇬🇧 //ˈprɒmɪnənt//🇺🇸 //ˈprɑːmɪnənt//🇬🇧 //ðeəːr bəʊθ ˈprɒmɪsɪŋ//🇺🇸 //ðɛr boʊθ ˈprɑːmɪsɪŋ//
MeaningVery noticeable or important.They both have potential for success.
ExampleThe scientist became a prominent figure in her field after her groundbreaking research.In the competition, they're both promising candidates for the award.
RegisterNeutralNeutral
How commonTop 2,000 (common)Top 2,000 (common)
CEFR levelC1-
Part of speechadjective
Collocationsprominent position, prominent feature, prominent role, prominent figure, prominent issuepromising career, promising future, promising start, promising results, promising technology
Antonymsobscure, insignificant, unnoticed-
Common mistakesConfused with 'prominently' - the adverb form., Using it to describe minor features., Confusing with 'promote' which means to encourage or advance.Using 'they're' incorrectly, often confused with 'their' or 'there'., Misplacing 'both' when discussing more than two subjects., 'Promising' confused with 'promised' in different contexts.
Usage notesUse 'prominent' to describe someone or something that stands out in a significant way. Suitable in both written and spoken contexts, particularly in academic or professional settings.Use this phrase to indicate that two people or ideas show good potential, often in academic, professional, or optimistic contexts.

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They're both promising

Frequently asked questions: Prominent vs They're both promising

What's the difference between Prominent and They're both promising?

Prominent: Very noticeable or important. They're both promising: They both have potential for success.

Can you show an example of each?

Prominent: The scientist became a prominent figure in her field after her groundbreaking research. They're both promising: In the competition, they're both promising candidates for the award.

Can I use Prominent and They're both promising interchangeably?

Not always. Prominent and They're both promising are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.

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