promise
noun
a declaration that something will or will not be done, given, etc., by one.
was promising
-
past progressiveof promise.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
Mitchell was also named the president of the group, which was promising to “focus on policy areas like taxation, economic development incentives, deregulation and zoning at the state and local level.”
From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026
"He was promising the world, proper love-bombing me. And he was buying things as well, trying to get me to fall in love very quickly with him," she says.
From BBC ● Apr. 16, 2026
It was the first of the month, which was promising, too.
From Slate ● Jan. 27, 2026
The FBI thought the lead was promising enough to launch an undercover investigation, people familiar with it said, with a covert agent befriending the woman’s significant other to elicit new clues.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 14, 2025
And that was promising, as far as I could see.
From "It All Comes Down to This" by Karen English
