Word
promise
Phoneticsprom·ise, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈpɹɑməs/
UK/pɹˈɒmɪs/
Definitions
01to give your word
A2 · Elementary
v. to tell someone that you will certainly do something or that something will happen.
v. to commit to a specific course of action or outcome; often used ditransitively with an indirect object.
“He promised to call his mother as soon as he arrived at the hotel.”
“The candidate promised to reform the tax system within the first hundred days of his administration, though skeptics questioned the feasibility of such a timeline.”
Pitfall
I promise to doing it.
I promise to do it.
The verb 'promise' is followed by a to-infinitive, not a gerund (-ing form).
Antonyms
02to show potential
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to give someone a reason to expect something good in the future.
v. to provide grounds for expecting a particular, usually positive, outcome.
“The clear blue sky promised a beautiful day for the wedding.”
“The early data from the clinical trials promised a significant breakthrough in the treatment of chronic respiratory conditions.”
03a vow or assurance
A2 · Elementary Countable noun
n. a statement that you will definitely do something.
n. a declaration or assurance that one will do a particular thing or that a particular thing will happen.
“She made a promise to herself to exercise every morning.”
“The diplomat emphasized that a broken promise could irreparably damage the fragile trust between the two neighbouring nations.”
04potential for success
B1 · Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. signs that someone or something will be successful in the future.
n. indication of future excellence or success; often used with 'show' or 'full of'.
“The young pianist shows great promise and might become famous one day.”
“Despite his lack of formal training, the apprentice showed such promise that the master craftsman offered him a full partnership.”
05computing placeholder
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Computing Technical
n. a tool in computer coding that represents a result that is not ready yet.
n. an object representing the eventual completion or failure of an asynchronous operation and its resulting value.
“The function returns a promise that resolves when the data finishes downloading.”
“By chaining promises, the developer managed to handle multiple API requests without nesting callbacks into an unreadable structure.”
Usage
Commonly used in JavaScript and other languages to handle tasks that take time, like loading data.
Synonyms
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 (“I send forth, I say beforehand, I promise”), from pro (“forth”) + mittere (“to send”); see mission. Compare admit, commit, permit, etc. Displaced native ġehātan (“to promise”) and ġehāt (“a promise”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Idioms
02. Promised Land
Grammar
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- A2 · ElementaryOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/promise