# promised

/ˈpɹɑməst/ (US) · /pɹˈɒmɪsd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/promised
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 2. expected or predicted

adjective · CEFR B2

something that people said would happen and is now expected.

For teachers: describing an event or outcome that has been predicted or assured by a previous commitment.

- The promised rain finally arrived late in the afternoon.
- The promised reforms failed to materialise, leading to widespread disappointment among the electorate who had voted for change.

### 3. engaged to be married

adjective · CEFR C1 · Literary · Archaic

committed to marry someone or to join a specific group.

For teachers: under a formal obligation to a future commitment, such as marriage or a religious vocation.

- In the old story, the princess was promised to a prince from a far country.
- The young nobleman was promised to the daughter of a rival house as part of a peace treaty between the two families.

Teaching tip: This sense is mostly found in historical novels or traditional stories; modern speakers use 'engaged' for marriage.

## Examples

- He promised to call me as soon as he arrived.
- The government promised to lower taxes before the next election to gain more support from voters.
- Although the developer promised that the software update would resolve the existing bugs, several critical vulnerabilities remained unaddressed after the official release.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.