approving app·ro·ving US/əˈpɹuː.vɪŋ/ rare noun (1) adjective (1) noun 1. the formal act of giving approval “he gave the project his blessing” “his decision merited the approval of any sensible person” Synonymsblessingapproval Antonymsdisapproval adjective 1. expressing or manifesting praise or approval “approbative criticism” Synonymsapprobativeapprobatoryplausive Similarfavorable Related words Word family approbateapprove Broader terms support Narrower terms adoptionbackingadmirationreward WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved.