promise
nounverbtop 1 000 in film dialogue
- United Kingdom//ˈpɹɒmɪs//
- United States//ˈpɹɑmɪs//
- Canada//ˈpɹɒmɪs//
- Australia//ˈpɹɔmɪs//
- New Zealand/[ˈpɹɔ̟mɪs]/
An oath or affirmation; a vow.
noun
- 1
An oath or affirmation; a vow.
When I make a promise, I always stick to it.
I asked him not to, and we all heard his promise that he wouldn't.
He broke his promise: he said he'd return my jewellery, but never did.
- 2
A transaction between two persons whereby the first person undertakes in the future to render some service or gift to the second person or devotes something valuable now and here to their use.
He purſued Andrew Houſtoun upon his promiſe, to give him the like Sallary for the next year, and in abſence obtained him to be holden as confeſt and Decerned.
- 3
Something promised.
That jewelry was a promise to me.
- 4
Reason to expect improvement or success; potential.
His grade are poor, but I see promise in him.
Your claim has little promise in court.
She shows great promise as an actress.
My native country was full of youthful promise.
- 5
A placeholder object representing the eventual result of an asynchronous operation.
You can often use observables instead of promises to deliver values asynchronously.
- 6
obsoleteBestowal or fulfillment of what is promised.
It is time they receive their promise.
He […] commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father.
Etymology
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”).
verb
- 1
To commit to (some action or outcome), or to assure (a person) of such commitment; to make an oath or vow.
"You think that I'll take anything." "I know you will, sweet." … "There wasn't going to be any of that. You promised there wouldn't be." "Well, there is now," she said sweetly.
If you promise not to tell anyone, I will let you have this cake for free.
She promised to never return to this town again.
He promised me a big kiss if I would drive him to the airport.
- 2
To give grounds for expectation, especially of something good.
The clouds promise rain.
I liked the man for his own sake, and even had he promised to turn out a celebrity it would have had no weight with me. I look upon notoriety with the same indifference as on the buttons on a man's shirt-front, or the crest on his note-paper.
Forms
- plural
- promises
- past tense
- promised
- past participle
- promised
- present participle
- promising
- third person singular
- promises