prepossessing

[ pree-puh-zes-ing ]

adjective

1. that impresses favorably; engaging or attractive:

   a confident and prepossessing young man.

prepossessing

/ ˌpriːpəˈzɛsɪŋ /

adjective

1. creating a favourable impression; attractive

Derived Forms

• ˌpreposˈsessingly, adverb
• ˌpreposˈsessingness, noun

Other Words From

• prepos·sessing·ly adverb
• prepos·sessing·ness noun
• unpre·pos·sessing adjective
• unpre·pos·sessing·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of prepossessing¹

First recorded in 1635–45; prepossess + -ing ²

Example Sentences

The most titanic competitor I ever watched in any field was the least physically prepossessing: Chris Evert, who took apart the famed trans tennis player Renee Richards, 6-1, 6-0, in the 1979 U.S.

From Washington Post

He was not a physically prepossessing young fellow.

From New York Times

They are very picturesque, but do not look prepossessing.

From Literature

Even the British explorer Sir Richard Francis Burton wasn’t immune: “Truly prepossessing was our first view of the then mysterious island of Zanzibar,” he wrote in “Zanzibar: City, Island, and Coast” in 1872.

From New York Times

“I believe that unless a major part on stage or screen explicitly calls for an unsightly person,” Mr. Simon once wrote in New York magazine, “it is better filled by a performer who is, besides being talented, prepossessing.”

From Washington Post