Link Centre Dictionary

promise

pro·mise

UK/ˈpɹɒmɪs/ US/ˈpɹɑmɪs/ very common
verb (4) noun (2)

verb

1.

make a promise or commitment

Synonyms
2.

promise to undertake or give

  • “I promise you my best effort”
3.

make a prediction about; tell in advance

  • “Call the outcome of an election”
Synonyms
4.

give grounds for expectations

  • “The new results were promising”
  • “The results promised fame and glory”

noun

1.

a flag longer than it is wide (and often tapering)

2.

grounds for feeling hopeful about the future

  • “there is little or no promise that he will recover”
Synonyms

Origin

From Middle English promis, promisse, borrowed from Old French promesse, from Medieval Latin prōmissa, Latin prōmissum (“a promise”), feminine and neuter past participles of prōmittō (“to send forth, to say beforehand, to promise”), from pro (“forth”) + mittere (“to send”); see mission. Compare admit, commit, permit, etc. Displaced native ġehātan (“to promise”) and ġehāt (“a promise”).

Phrases

  • a lick and a promise terms derived from noun and verb
  • a promise is a promise terms derived from noun and verb
  • a promise made is a promise kept terms derived from noun and verb
  • breach of promise terms derived from noun and verb
  • break a promise terms derived from noun and verb
  • break one's promise terms derived from noun and verb
  • election promise terms derived from noun and verb
  • lick and a promise terms derived from noun and verb

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.