promise
noun
prom·ise
| \ ˈprä-məs
\
\
Definition of promise
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: a declaration that one will do or refrain from doing something specified
b
: a legally binding declaration that gives the person to whom it is made a right to expect or to claim the performance or forbearance of a specified act
2
: reason to expect something
little promise of relief
especially
: ground for expectation of success, improvement, or excellence
shows considerable promise
3
: something that is promised
promise
verb
promised;
promising
Definition of promise (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: to pledge to do, bring about, or provide
promise aid
4
: to suggest beforehand : give promise of
dark clouds promise rain
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Other Words from promise
Verb
promisee
\ ˌprä-mə-ˈsē
\
noun
\
noun
promisor
\ ˌprä-mə-ˈsȯr
\
or less commonly promiser \ ˈprä-mə-sər
\
noun
\
or less commonly promiser \ ˈprä-mə-sər
\
noun
Synonyms for promise
Synonyms: Noun
oath, pledge, troth, vow, word
Synonyms: Verb
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Examples of promise in a Sentence
Noun
She gave me her promise. She never made a promise that she didn't intend to keep. There is little promise of relief in the forecast. They were attracted by the promise of success. a sunny morning that gives every promise of a fine day There is a promise of better days ahead.Verb
Promise me that you won't tell anyone. I can't promise you that I'll be able to go, but I'll do my best. The governor promised that the prisoners would receive a fair trial. She promised to announce the results tomorrow. International organizations have promised aid. I promise to be careful. You always promise, but you never do what you say you will. “I won't tell anyone.” “Promise?” “Yes, I promise.” Those gray skies promise rain.
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The federal government in June acknowledged that ongoing research indicates psychedelics hold promise for treating anxiety. — Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, "Magic mushrooms for better health? Psychedelic drugs are having a moment across US," 24 Aug. 2019 But sturgeons like the one in Ivanov’s net hold the promise of changing one’s life. — Denise Hruby, Los Angeles Times, "Craving for caviar is driving the Danube River’s sturgeon to extinction," 22 Aug. 2019 The solar sail is propelled only by sunlight, and its technology holds promise for early detection of major events in space, as well as travel across vast distances. — Rhett Allain, WIRED, "Hey Teachers, Get to Know Your Students' Preconceptions," 22 Aug. 2019 In addition to holding promise for people suffering from traumatic brain injury and early-onset dementia, this function of cannabis is also of great interest to people with post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD. — chicagotribune.com, "Marijuana makes your brain more plasticky, and that’s a good thing," 22 Aug. 2019 True to the promise of those who attempted to cover up various wrongdoings, there was precious little information to be found about Legasov when Harris began seeking out his history. — Sandra Gonzalez, CNN, "That time Jared Harris maybe helped a murderer get away and other stories," 22 Aug. 2019 Apartments and condos are going up everywhere, the promise of the city’s plan to fully realize itself. — Gregory Thomas, SFChronicle.com, "One Day, One Place: Sacramento," 22 Aug. 2019 Where others saw only short-term opportunities, McCord saw great coalescing shapes that held out the promise of vast enrichment for himself. — Larry Millett, Twin Cities, "From the archives: Murder-on-a-stick: A Pioneer Press serial mystery novel (Chapter 1)," 21 Aug. 2019 Many agree that the emerging wave of technological innovation in fields including robotics and artificial intelligence holds the promise of boosting productivity. — Robert D. Atkinson, National Review, "Higher Productivity Is Good for Workers," 25 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Although many features resemble what other matchmaking services offer, Facebook’s version promises to be different, just as Tinder brought swiping and Bumble brought female-first messaging. — Barbara Ortutay, SFChronicle.com, "Friends with benefits: Can Facebook tackle your love life?," 6 Sep. 2019 Although many features resemble what other matchmaking services offer, Facebook’s version promises to be different, just as Tinder brought swiping and Bumble brought female-first messaging. — Barbara Ortutay, Los Angeles Times, "Going from like to love: Facebook online dating service launches in U.S.," 5 Sep. 2019 Although many of its features resemble what other matchmaking services offer, Facebook's version promises to be different. — Irina Ivanova, CBS News, "As Facebook launches "Facebook Dating" in U.S., a blog finds 400 million exposed user phone numbers," 5 Sep. 2019 Windy City promises a highly interactive production in an intimate setting. — Chris Jones, chicagotribune.com, "Fall preview: Top 10 picks for Chicago theater from ‘Color Purple’ to ‘King’s Speech’," 5 Sep. 2019 The 2019/20 Barclays FA Women’s Super League season promises to be the biggest and best yet in a new age for women’s football in England, following the popularity of the summer’s World Cup. — SI.com, "2019/20 Women's Super League Preview: All Teams, Key Players, Transfers, How to Watch & More," 4 Sep. 2019 Over the Top also promises to uncover new personal details about Van Ness’ life, diving into his psyche as both a private and public person. — Annabel Gutterman, Time, "The 42 Most Anticipated Books of Fall 2019," 30 Aug. 2019 The listing promises the workshops have no more than 10 people. — Michelle Cheng, Quartz at Work, "An Airbnb host is offering mock Amazon job interviews for $5,300," 30 Aug. 2019 With defensive menaces Kory Tacha and Logan Marx back, Limon promises to field a defense as salty as the one that held opponents to single digits in all but one game last season. — Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, "Preseason Colorado Prep Football Power 20: Valor Christian… isn’t No. 1?," 29 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'promise.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for promise
promise
noun
English Language Learners Definition of promise
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a statement telling someone that yo