promise
Americannoun
-
a declaration that something will or will not be done, given, etc., by one.
unkept political promises.
-
an express assurance on which expectation is to be based.
promises that an enemy will not win.
-
something that has the effect of an express assurance; indication of what may be expected.
-
indication of future excellence or achievement.
a writer who shows promise.
-
something that is promised.
verb (used with object)
-
to engage or undertake by promise (usually used with an infinitive or a clause as object).
She promised to go tomorrow.
-
to make a promise of (some specified act, gift, etc.).
to promise help.
-
to make a promise of something to (a specified person).
Promise me that you will come.
-
to afford ground for expecting.
The sky promised a storm.
-
to engage to join in marriage.
-
to assure (used in emphatic declarations).
I won't go there again, I promise you that!
verb (used without object)
-
to afford ground for expectation (often followed by well orfair ).
His forthcoming novel promises well.
-
to make a promise.
verb
-
to give an assurance of (something to someone); undertake (to do something) in the future
I promise that I will come
-
(tr) to undertake to give (something to someone)
he promised me a car for my birthday
-
(when tr, takes an infinitive) to cause one to expect that in the future one is likely (to be or do something)
she promises to be a fine soprano
-
(usually passive) to engage to be married; betroth
I'm promised to Bill
-
(tr) to assure (someone) of the authenticity or inevitability of something (often in the parenthetic phrase I promise you, used to emphasize a statement)
there'll be trouble, I promise you
noun
-
an undertaking or assurance given by one person to another agreeing or guaranteeing to do or give something, or not to do or give something, in the future
-
indication of forthcoming excellence or goodness
a writer showing considerable promise
-
the thing of which an assurance is given
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
prepromisenoun
-
promisernoun
-
repromiseverb
-
outpromiseverb (used with object)
-
overpromiseverb (used with object)
-
promisableadjective
-
promisefuladjective
-
quasi-promisedadjective
-
unpromisedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
promisesimple
-
promisessimple
-
have promisedperfect
-
has promisedperfect
-
am promisingprogressive
-
are promisingprogressive
-
is promisingprogressive
-
have been promisingperfect progressive
-
has been promisingperfect progressive
Past
-
promisedsimple
-
had promisedperfect
-
was promisingprogressive
-
were promisingprogressive
-
had been promisingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of promise
First recorded in 1375–1425; (noun) late Middle English promis(se), from Medieval Latin prōmissa, from Latin prōmissum, noun use of neuter past participle of prōmittere “to promise,” literally, “to send forth,” equivalent to prō- pro- 1 + mittere “to send”; (verb) late Middle English promisen, derivative of the noun
Explanation
A promise is an agreement to do or not do something. Also, when you have potential, you show promise. If your parents say you can go for ice cream and then it doesn't happen, you'll probably say, "But you promised!" People promise small things, like to visit someone, and big things, like marriage: “Til death do us part” is a promise many people make on their wedding day. Another meaning is to make a prediction, as in, "You'll regret this, I promise!” Also, if you show promise playing the violin, maybe someday you'll play in an orchestra.
Vocabulary lists containing promise
"Macbeth" Vocabulary from Act I
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Send a Message: Mit and Miss
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Michelle Obama's final address as First Lady (2017)
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“This sentence delivers on that promise to hold those accountable who dare to interfere or attack federal agents. Don’t do it.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Wadephul's promise of continued security and humanitarian cooperation, however, comes as Germany's foreign aid budget has been cut repeatedly.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
Forecasters with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which announced in June that El Niño had arrived, predict this iteration will be “very strong,” bringing a greater promise of a wet winter.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
CJP spokesperson Saurav Das said the group's 10-minute meeting with Nadda ended with a promise that the government would look into the matter, but no concrete assurances.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
‘Two days, and then someone will come for you. Stay here. You’ll be all right. I promise.’
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
One of Infantino's key promises when he was elected was to bring more money into the game.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
AI suppliers say these arrangements give them unprecedented visibility into their future revenue, allowing them to wow investors with promises of bumper sales and profits ahead.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
"Instead of a summer lull, the meeting promises one last clash between the hawks and doves before anyone reaches for the sunscreen," said Brzeski.
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
By its terms, the Constitution is “ordained and established” by “the People,” who for most of this country’s history played a far more prominent role in the process of deciding what its promises mean.
From Slate ● Jul. 20, 2026
Even Pita from her place on the shore was calling out similar promises.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
During Burnham's bid to replace Sir Keir Starmer as Labour leader and prime minister, he promised to deliver the biggest programme of council house building in decades.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Musk has promised to transition both companies into dominant forces in an AI arms race in which they are behind.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Wach promised to "ruin" any plans for a Fury-Joshua fight by causing an upset in Pattaya.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Voters ultimately passed Proposition 103, which promised insurance rate roll-backs and created the elected state insurance commissioner role.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
“Land filled with forests, redwoods, all kinds of animals, Will. Mountain lions, wolves, deer. Ranges are overrun with bighorn sheep. Amazing country, I’ve heard said. An unbelievable promised land.”
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
It is part of a concerted effort to bring promising young talents to the Old Trafford club, which Thompson's arrival from Tottenham is part of.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
The Chargers got another infusion of promising tight ends in the offseason, acquiring free agents David Njoku and Charlie Kolar, both of whom thrived elsewhere.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
"Nothing is more important than the welfare and future of our youth," he said in a social media post, promising to set up fast-track courts to punish those involved in question paper leaks.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
Banks have been aggressively courting such customers with cards promising increasingly elaborate perks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
He and Harriet left, Harriet promising to return later.
From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
