Prospect means the possibility that something will happen, especially something good. When a team is losing 10-2 in the ninth inning, the prospect of victory looks dim. When dark clouds gather, you face the prospect of rain. If your teacher announces a field trip, that's an exciting prospect to look forward to.

The word often appears with modifiers that show whether the possibility seems good or bad: a grim prospect, a thrilling prospect, a realistic prospect. When something improves your prospects, it makes success more likely. A student who studies hard improves their prospects for a good grade.

As a verb, to prospect means to search for valuable resources, especially gold or minerals. A prospector might spend months prospecting for gold in a river, sifting through sand and gravel and hoping to find nuggets. The California Gold Rush attracted thousands of prospectors who traveled west with dreams of striking it rich.

In sports and business, a prospect is also a person who shows promise for the future. A baseball prospect is a young player in the minor leagues who might become a star. Colleges recruit high school prospects they believe will succeed at the next level. Being called a good prospect means others see potential in you.