“promises” is a form of
promise
UK /ˈpɹɒmɪs/ · US /ˈpɹɑmɪs/ noun, verb, proper noun
Forms promises promising promised promyse
- noun (countable) An oath or affirmation; a vow. “When I make a promise, I always stick to it.”
- noun (countable, law) A transaction between two persons whereby the first person undertakes in the future to render some service or gift to the second person or devotes something valuable now and here to their use.
- noun (countable) Something promised. “That jewelry was a promise to me.”
- noun (uncountable) Reason to expect improvement or success; potential. “His grade are poor, but I see promise in him.”
- noun (countable, programming) A placeholder object representing the eventual result of an asynchronous operation.
- noun (countable, obsolete) Bestowal or fulfillment of what is promised. “It is time they receive their promise.”
- verb (ambitransitive, ditransitive) To commit to (some action or outcome), or to assure (a person) of such commitment; to make an oath or vow. “If you promise not to tell anyone, I will let you have this cake for free.”
- verb (ambitransitive) To give grounds for expectation, especially of something good. “The clouds promise rain.”
- proper noun A female given name from English.
Synonyms
stipulate hope assure predict foretell prognosticate call forebode anticipate
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 (“to send forth, to say beforehand, to promise”), from pro (“forth”) + mittere (“to send”); see mission. Compare admit, commit, permit, etc. Displaced native ġehātan (“to promise”) and ġehāt (“a promise”).
Webster’s 1913
- adjective In general, a declaration, written or verbal, made by one person to another, which binds the person who makes it to do, or to forbear to do, a specified act; a declaration which gives to the person to whom it is made a right to expect or to claim the performance or forbearance of a specified act. For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. Gal. iii. 18.
- adjective An engagement by one person to another, either in words or in writing, but properly not under seal, for the performance or nonperformance of some particular thing. The word promise is used to denote the mere engagement of a person, without regard to the consideration for it, or the corresponding duty of the party to whom it is made. Chitty. Parsons. Burrill.
- verb To engage to do, give, make, or to refrain from doing, giving, or making, or the like; to covenant; to engage; as, to promise a visit; to promise a cessation of hostilities; to promise the payment of money. "To promise aid." Shak.
- verb To afford reason to expect; to cause hope or assurance of; as, the clouds promise rain. Milton.
Etymology [F. promesse, L. promissum, fr. promittere, promissum, to put forth, foretell, promise; pro forward, for + mittere to send. See Mission.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “promise”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details