Encouraging means giving hope that things will go well. A sign that it might work out.
It describes results, signs and words, so encouraging early results and an encouraging smile are both standard. Doctors use it carefully, since describing test results as encouraging promises less than good news would. Applied to a person it means supportive. The verb encourage takes to and a verb, and the noun encouragement is what somebody needs when they are about to give up. Its opposite is discouraging.
1adjectiveencouragingGiving hope or confidence that things will improve.
“The first figures were encouraging.”