Promise

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: prom=ise

CIDE DICTIONARY

Promise, a. [F. promesse, L. promissum, fr. promittere, promissum, to put forth, foretell, promise; pro forward, for + mittere to send. See Mission. ].

•  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.  [1913 Webster]

  "For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise."  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]
•  That which causes hope, expectation, or assurance; especially, that which affords expectation of future distinction; as, a youth of great promise.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

  "My native country was full of youthful promise."  [1913 Webster]
•  Bestowal, fulfillment, or grant of what is promised.  [1913 Webster]

  "He . . . commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father."  [1913 Webster]

Promise, v. t. 

•  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.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]
•  To afford reason to expect; to cause hope or assurance of; as, the clouds promise rain.  Milton.  [1913 Webster]
•  To make declaration of or give assurance of, as some benefit to be conferred; to pledge or engage to bestow; as, the proprietors promised large tracts of land; the city promised a reward.  [1913 Webster]

  "I dare promise myself you will attest the truth of all I have advanced."  [1913 Webster]

Promised land. See Land of promise, under Land. -- To promise one's self. (a) To resolve; to determine; to vow. (b) To be assured; to have strong confidence.

Promise, v. i. 

•  To give assurance by a promise, or binding declaration.  [1913 Webster]
•  To afford hopes or expectation; to give ground to expect good; rarely, to give reason to expect evil.  [1913 Webster]

  "Will not the ladies be afeard of the lion?
  I fear it, I promise you."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Promise, n. & v.
--n.
1 an assurance that one will or will not undertake a certain action, behaviour, etc. (a promise of help; gave a promise to be generous).
2 a sign or signs of future achievements, good results, etc. (a writer of great promise).
--v.tr.
1 (usu. foll. by to + infin., or that + clause; also absol.) make (a person) a promise, esp. to do, give, or procure (a thing) (I promise you a fair hearing; they promise not to be late; promised that he would be there; cannot positively promise).
2 a afford expectations of (the discussions promise future problems; promises to be a good cook). b (foll. by to + infin.) seem likely to (is promising to rain).
3 colloq. assure, confirm (I promise you, it will not be easy).
4 (usu. in passive) archaic betroth (she is promised to another).

Idiom

the promised land
1 Bibl. Canaan (Gen. 12:7 etc.).
2 any desired place, esp. heaven. promise oneself look forward to (a pleasant time etc.). promise well (or ill etc.) hold out good (or bad etc.) prospects.

Derivative

promisee n. esp. Law. promiser n. promisor n. esp. Law.

Etymology

ME f. L promissum neut. past part. of promittere put forth, promise (as PRO-(1), mittere send)

THESAURUS

Promise

accede, accord, actuarial prediction, adumbration, afford hope, agree, agree to, agreement, apocalypse, arrangement, aspiration, assent, assumption, assurance, assure, assured faith, augur, augur well, augury, auspice, avouch, bargain, bargain for, be promising, bespeak, betoken, betokening, betokenment, bid fair, bid fair to, binding agreement, bond, capability, cartel, cheer, cheerful expectation, collective agreement, commitment, compact, confidence, consent, consortium, contract, convention, conviction, countersign, covenant, covenant of salt, deal, dependence, desire, dicker, do a deal, doomed hope, earnest, employment contract, engage, engagement, ensure, expectation, fair prospect, faith, fervent hope, foreboding, forecast, forecasting, foreshadow, foreshadowing, foreshowing, foresight, foretell, foretelling, foretoken, foretokening, formal agreement, give hope, give indication of, give prospect of, good cheer, good hope, great expectations, guarantee, guaranty, guesswork, have favorable odds, have good prospects, high hopes, hint, hint at, hold out hope, hold out promise, hope, hopeful prognosis, hopefulness, hopes, hoping, hoping against hope, imply, improbability, increase the chances, indicant, indicate, indication, inspire, inspire hope, inspirit, insure, ironclad agreement, justify hope, legal agreement, legal contract, likelihood, look like, make a deal, make a promise, make fair promise, make likely, make more likely, make probable, mutual agreement, oath, offer the expectation, omen, pact, paction, pass, pawn, pledge, plight, portent, potential, prayerful hope, prediction, prefiguration, prefigurement, prefiguring, preindication, premonitory shiver, premonitory sign, premonitory symptom, presage, presaging, presentiment, preshowing, presignifying, presumption, probability, probabilize, prognosis, prognostic, prognostication, prophecy, prophesying, prospect, prospects, prospectus, protocol, raise expectation, raise expectations, raise hope, reassure, reliance, sanguine expectation, security, seem likely, shadow, show a tendency, show signs of, sign, soothsay, speculation, stand fair to, statistical prediction, stipulate, stipulation, suggest, support, swear, token, tokening, transaction, troth, trust, type, understanding, undertake, undertaking, underwrite, union contract, valid contract, vaticination, vouch, vow, wage contract, warrant, warranty, well-grounded hope, word, word of honor

ROGET THESAURUS

Promise

Consent

N consent, assent, acquiescence, approval, compliance, agreement, concession, yieldance, yieldingness, accession, acknowledgment, acceptance, agnition, settlement, ratification, confirmation, adjustment, permit, promise, consenting, squeezable, agreed, unconditional, OK, yes, by all means, no problem, if you please, as you please, be it so, so be it, well and good, of course, please do, don't hesitate, chi tace accousente.

VB consent, assent, yield assent, admit, allow, concede, grant, yield, come round, come over, give into, acknowledge, agnize, give consent, comply with, acquiesce, agree to, fall in with, accede, accept, embrace an offer, close with, take at one's word, have no objection, satisfy, meet one's wishes, settle, come to terms, not refuse, turn a willing ear, jump at, deign, vouchsafe, promise.

Promise

N promise, undertaking, word, troth, plight, pledge, parole, word of honor, vow, oath, profession, assurance, warranty, guarantee, insurance, obligation, contract, stipulation, engagement, preengagement, affiance, betroth, betrothal, betrothment, promising, promissory, votive, under hand and seal, upon oath, promised, affianced, pledged, bound, committed, compromised, in for it, as one's head shall answer for, in for a penny in for a pound, ex voto, gage d'amour.

VB promise, give a promise, undertake, engage, make an engagement, form an engagement, enter into an engagement, enter on an engagement, bind oneself, tie oneself, pledge oneself, commit oneself, take upon oneself, vow, swear, give one's word, pass one's word, pledge one's word, plight one's word, give one's honor, pass one's honor, pledge one's honor, plight one's honor, give credit, pass credit, pledge credit, plight credit, give troth, pass troth, pledge troth, plight troth, betroth, plight faith, assure, warrant, guarantee, covenant, attest, hold out an expectation, contract an obligation, become bound to, become sponsor for, answer for, be answerable for, secure, give security, underwrite, adjure, administer an oath, put to one's oath, swear a witness.

Hope

N hope, hopes, desire, fervent hope, sanguine expectation, trust, confidence, reliance, faith, affiance, assurance, secureness, security, reassurance, good omen, good auspices, promise, well grounded hopes, good prospect, bright prospect, clear sky, assumption, presumption, anticipation, hopefulness, buoyancy, optimism, enthusiasm, heart of grace, aspiration, optimist, utopian, utopist, castles in the air, castles in Spain, chateaux en Espagne, le pot aut lait, Utopia, millennium, day dream, golden dream, dream of Alnaschar, airy hopes, fool's paradise, mirage, fond hope, beam of hope, ray of hope, gleam of hope, glimmer of hope, flash of hope, dawn of hope, star of hope, cheer, bit of blue sky, silver lining, silver lining of the cloud, bottom of Pandora's box, balm in Gilead, light at the end of the tunnel, anchor, sheet anchor, mainstay, staff, heaven, hoping, in hopes, hopeful, confident, secure, sanguine, in good heart, buoyed up, buoyant, elated, flushed, exultant, enthusiastic, heartsome, utopian, unsuspecting, unsuspicious, fearless, free from fear, free from suspicion, free from distrust, free from despair, exempt from fear, exempt from suspicion, exempt from distrust, exempt from despair, undespairing, self reliant, probable, on the high road to, within sight of shore, within sight of land, promising, propitious, of promise, full of promise, of good omen, auspicious, de bon augure, reassuring, encouraging, cheering, inspiriting, looking up, bright, roseate, couleur de rose, rose-colored, hopefully, Int, God speed!, nil desperandum, never say die, dum spiro spero, latet scintillula forsan, all is for the best, spero meliora, every cloud has a silver lining, the wish being father to the thought, hope told a flattering tale, rusticus expectat dum defluat amnis, at spes non fracta, ego spem prietio non emo, un Dieu est ma fiance, hope! thou nurse of young desire, in hoc signo spes mea, in hoc signo vinces, la speranza e il pan de miseri, l'esperance est le songe d'un homme eveille, the mighty hopes that make us men, the sickening pang of hope deferred.

VB hope, trust, confide, rely on, put one's trust in, lean upon, pin one's hope upon, pin one's faith upon, feel hope, entertain hope, harbor hope, indulge hope, cherish hope, feed hope, foster hope, nourish hope, encourage hope, cling to hope, live in hope see land, feel assured, rest assured, feel confident, rest confident, presume, promise oneself, expect, hope for, anticipate, be hopeful, look on the bright side of, view on the sunny side, voir en couleur de rose, make the best of it, hope for the best, put a good face upon, put a bold face upon, put the best face upon, keep one's spirits up, take heart, take heart of grace, be of good heart, be of good cheer, flatter oneself, lay the flattering unction to one's soul, catch at a straw hope against hope, reckon one's chickens before they are hatched, count one's chickens before they are hatched, give hope, inspire hope, raise hope, hold out hope, promise, bid fair, augur well, be in a fair way, look up, flatter, tell a flattering tale, raise expectations (sentient subject), encourage, cheer, assure, reassure, buoy up, embolden.

Prediction

VB predict, prognosticate, prophesy, vaticinate, divine, foretell, soothsay, augurate, tell fortunes, cast a horoscope, cast a nativity, advise, forewarn, presage, augur, bode, abode, forebode, foretoken, betoken, prefigure, preshow, portend, foreshow, foreshadow, shadow forth, typify, pretypify, ominate, signify, point to, usher in, herald, premise, announce, lower, hold out expectation, raise expectation, excite expectation, excite hope, bid fair, promise, lead one to expect, be the precursor, extrapolate, project.