promise
gb/pɹˈɑməs/ us/pɹˈɑməs/
A2
Anglais
~ 2500
Sens
0 sens
Verbe
A2
action
1
Say you will do something
To say you will surely do or give something in the future.
Schéma d’usage :
to promise [someone] [something]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse 'promise' with 'hope'; 'hope' expresses desire, but 'promise' expresses commitment.
Synonymes
pledge (More formal and serious than 'promise', often used in official contexts.)
Antonymes
break (To fail to do what you said you would do.)
Collocations
promise faithfully
|promise to help
|promise someone something
|keep a promise
Thèmes
communication
|relationships
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- I promise I'll call you when I arrive.
- She promised to finish the report by Friday.
- They promised him a promotion if he met his targets.
- He promised his parents he would study harder.
Exemples pédagogiques
- I promise to help you.
- She promised to come to my party.
- They promised me a new bike.
- He promised to call me tomorrow.
Nom
A2
entity
2
A statement of commitment
Words that say someone will surely do or give something later.
Schéma d’usage :
make/keep/break a promise
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes use 'promise' without an article when it needs one, e.g., 'I made promise' instead of 'I made a promise'.
Synonymes
commitment (Implies a strong moral or formal obligation, not just words.)
Antonymes
lie (In this context, a false statement with no intention of fulfilling it.)
Collocations
make a promise
|keep a promise
|break a promise
|empty promise
Thèmes
communication
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- He made a promise to help her move house.
- It was a promise she intended to keep.
- Breaking a promise can damage trust.
- The politician's promises were met with skepticism.
Exemples pédagogiques
- I made a promise to my friend.
- She kept her promise to visit me.
- He broke his promise.
- We must keep our promises.
Nom
B1
property
3
Potential for success
A sign that someone or something may be good or successful later.
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may confuse this sense with the 'commitment' meaning; here it refers to potential, not a guarantee.
Synonymes
potential ('Potential' is more general and can refer to any capability, not just positive signs.)
Antonymes
hopelessness (The state of having no chance for improvement or success.)
Collocations
show promise
|full of promise
|hold promise
Thèmes
career
|education
|personal development
|business
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- The young athlete shows great promise.
- This new technology holds promise for cancer treatment.
- Her early work was full of promise.
Exemples pédagogiques
- He shows promise as a writer.
- This idea has promise.
- She is full of promise.
- The project holds much promise.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
promise
API
GB/pɹˈɑməs/
US/pɹˈɑməs/
Syllabes et accentuation
prom - ise (2 syllabes)
Stress on 1st syllable (prom)
Formes du mot
Noun
- Base: promise
- Plural: promise, promises
Verb
- Base: promise
- 3rd Person Singular: promises
- Present Participle: promising
- Past: promised
Famille de mots
Forms
promises
noun
promising
verb
promised
verb
Related words
promisingly
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
unpromising
adjective C1
Advanced or less common
promissory
adjective
Expressions
break a promise
1/bɹˈeɪk ə pɹˈɑməs/
fixed phrase
Fail to do what you promised
To not do what you said you would do before.
Exemples
- He broke his promise and didn't show up.
- Breaking a promise can hurt someone's feelings.
empty promise
1/ˈɛmpti pɹˈɑməs/
fixed phrase
Promise with no intention to keep it
A promise that someone will not really keep.
Exemples
- Many voters felt the campaign pledges were empty promises.
- He made empty promises just to keep her happy.
keep a promise
1/kˈip ə pɹˈɑməs/
fixed phrase
Do what you promised
To do what you said you would do before.
Exemples
- She always keeps her promises, no matter how difficult it is.
- Keeping a promise builds trust between people.
show promise
1/ʃˈoʊ pɹˈɑməs/
fixed phrase
Display signs of potential success
To seem like you will be good or successful later.
Exemples
- The new software shows promise in early tests.
- She shows great promise as a pianist.