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promise Definition

prom·ise (präm′is)

noun

  1. an oral or written agreement to do or not to do something; vow
  2. indication, as of a successful prospect or future; basis for expectation
  3. something promised

Etymology: ME promis < L promissum < promittere, to send before or forward < pro-, forth + mittere, to send: see pro- & mission

intransitive verb -·ised, -·is·ing

  1. to make a promise
  2. to give a basis for expectation: often with well or fair

transitive verb

  1. to make a promise of (something) to somebody
  2. to engage or pledge: followed by an infinitive or a clause to promise to go
  3. to give a basis for expecting
  4. Informal to declare emphatically; assure
  5. Archaic to pledge to give in marriage

promise Related Forms
prom′·iser noun
promise Synonyms

promise

n.

  1. A pledge

    assurance, agreement, pact, oath, engagement, covenant, consent, avowal, warrant, asseveration, affirmation, swearing, plight, word, troth, vow, profession, guarantee, insurance, obligation, stipulation, commitment, betrothal, affiance, espousal, plighted faith, marriage contract, giving one's word, gentleman's agreement, attestation, word of honor, parole, warranty, foretaste.

  2. Hope

    outlook, sign, good omen, good appearance; see encouragement 2, hope 2.

promise Synonyms

promise

v.

  1. To give one's word

    plight, engage, declare, agree, vow, swear, espouse, consent, asseverate, affirm, profess, undertake, pledge, covenant, contract, bargain, affiance, betroth, assure, guarantee, warrant, give assurance, give warranty, insure, cross one's heart, keep a promise, live up to, plight one's faith, plight one's troth, bind oneself, commit oneself, obligate oneself, make oneself answerable, secure, give security, underwrite, subscribe, lead one to expect, answer for, pledge one's honor, cross one's heart and hope to die*.

    Antonyms deceive*, deny*, break faith.

  2. To appear promising

    ensure, insure, assure; see encourage 2.

promise Law Definition

n

An avowal to do something or to refrain from doing something, conveyed in such a way as to assure another that it will be done, and that can be considered binding.
gratuitous promise
A promise made without expectation of compensation; one not supported by consideration.
illusory promise
An agreement cloaked in terms that make it appear to be a promise, but not actually committing anything to anybody; for example, “I’ll back you up as long as it’s in my interest to do so.” The person who made that promise is not obligated to do anything.
promise Usage Examples

Object

  • reward: Be realistic It's no good promising a wonderful reward or dreadful punishment if you are not going to see it through.

Converse of object

  • fulfill: A young widow struggles to sustain her family, to fulfill a deathbed promise to her husband: to return them all to Scotland.
  • show: The award aims to give special support to a poet whose work shows great promise.
  • hold: This power also holds a promise for a panacea.
  • break: Says he, " Thou hast promised to Him many a time, and hast still broken thy promises.
  • make: They made promises - now they must make them good.

Adjective modifier

  • broken: Ultimately he is looking back on the broken promises of a wasted life.
  • unfulfilled: Were they attracted by the long-dead NSDAP's broken or unfulfilled promises to break up capitalist monopolies?
  • false: There are many people without any great wealth who also believe the false promises of money.
  • empty: Council Tax is a grossly unfair tax - people are fed up with all the excuses and empty promises.
  • hollow: We ask our leaders to demonstrate commitment, not engage in hollow promises.

Noun used with modifier

  • manifesto: This was the position on which I fought the last election and I suppose I was duty bound to stick to the manifesto promise.

Infinitive complement

  • revolutionize: Plastic chips promise to revolutionize many areas of everyday life including the weekly trip to the supermarket.
  • send: There are plenty of companies who promise to send traffic your way.
  • abolish: Tory Party promises to abolish IR35... www.zdnet.co.uk Tory Burch: The Tori Party: W Feature Story on Style.com.. .
  • deliver: Among other things, the strategy promised to deliver: Lifelong Electronic Health Records for every person in the country.
  • respond: We promise to respond to your request within 40 days of receiving your written request and fee.

Preposition: of

  • reward: By the promise of a large reward, two young men were persuaded to accompany him.
  • gospel: They are precisely a powerful reminder of the promise of the gospel.
promise Quotes

I loved Estella† I loved her against reason, against promise, against peace, against hope, against happiness, against all discouragement that could be.

—Dickens, CharlesJohn Huffam

In our anguish we struggle To elude Him, to lie to Him, yet His love observes His appalling promise; His predilection As we wander and weep is with us to the end, Minding our meanings, our least matter dear to Him.

—Auden,W(ystan) H(ugh)

Jazz music hashaunted America for seventy years.It has tempted us out of our lily-white reserve with its black promise of untrammeled joy.

—Holmes,John Clellon

His moral character†was full of promise, but of no performance.

—Dickens, CharlesJohn Huffam

My native country was full of youthful promise; Europe was rich in the accumulated treasures of age.

—Irving,Washington

Like a christening, a wedding, a graduation ceremony, a holy war, a revolutioneven†a fireworksdisplay, agaudy promise of what life ought to be, not life itself.

—Cooke, (Alfred) Alistair

Till I, high in the tower of my time Among familiar ruins, began to cry For accident, sickness, justice, war and crime, Because all died, because I had to die. The snow fell, the trees stood, the promise kept, And a child I slept.

—Nemerov, Howard

   Apromisemadeisa debt unpaid,andthetrail hasits own stern code.

—Service, Robert William

God bless our good and gracious King Whose promise none relies on, Who never said a foolish thing Nor ever did a wise one.

—Rochester,JohnWilmot, 2nd Earl of

The earth was made for Dombeyand Son to trade in, and thesunandmoonweremadetogivethemlight.Riversand seas were formed to float their ships; rainbowsgave them promise of fair weather; winds blew fororagainst their enterprises; stars and planets circled intheir orbits, to preserve inviolate a system of whichthey were the centre.

—Dickens, CharlesJohn Huffam

Uncorseted, her friendly bust Gives promise of pneumatic bliss.

—Eliot,T(homas) S(tearns)

All the same, you know parentsöespecially step- parentsöare sometimes a disappointment to their children.Theydon'tfulfil thepromise oftheirearly years.

—Powell, Anthony Dymoke

   Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build a bridge even where there is no river.

—Khrushchev, Nikita Sergeyevich

British music is in a state of perpetual promise. It might almost be said to be one long promissory note.

—Beecham, SirThomas