Propitious is an adjective that means indicating a good chance of success.

The Latin word propitus (por PEE tea oose) means ‘favorable’ or ‘gracious.’ In recent centuries, it has drifted into English and maintained the same basic meaning.

For example: Our soccer team didn’t get off to a propitious start. When we lost the first four games by a combined total of twenty points, it didn’t seem we had a good chance of winning the championship.