promise
gb/pɹˈɑməs/ us/pɹˈɑməs/
A2
Inglese
~ 2500
Accezioni
0 accezioni
Verbo
A2
action
1
Say you will do something
To say you will surely do or give something in the future.
Schema d'uso:
to promise [someone] [something]
Errore comune:
Learners sometimes confuse 'promise' with 'hope'; 'hope' expresses desire, but 'promise' expresses commitment.
Sinonimi
pledge (More formal and serious than 'promise', often used in official contexts.)
Contrari
break (To fail to do what you said you would do.)
Collocazioni
promise faithfully
|promise to help
|promise someone something
|keep a promise
Temi
communication
|relationships
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Esempi
- 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.
Esempi per chi studia
- I promise to help you.
- She promised to come to my party.
- They promised me a new bike.
- He promised to call me tomorrow.
Sostantivo
A2
entity
2
A statement of commitment
Words that say someone will surely do or give something later.
Schema d'uso:
make/keep/break a promise
Errore comune:
Learners sometimes use 'promise' without an article when it needs one, e.g., 'I made promise' instead of 'I made a promise'.
Sinonimi
commitment (Implies a strong moral or formal obligation, not just words.)
Contrari
lie (In this context, a false statement with no intention of fulfilling it.)
Collocazioni
make a promise
|keep a promise
|break a promise
|empty promise
Temi
communication
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Esempi
- 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.
Esempi per chi studia
- I made a promise to my friend.
- She kept her promise to visit me.
- He broke his promise.
- We must keep our promises.
Sostantivo
B1
property
3
Potential for success
A sign that someone or something may be good or successful later.
Errore comune:
Learners may confuse this sense with the 'commitment' meaning; here it refers to potential, not a guarantee.
Sinonimi
potential ('Potential' is more general and can refer to any capability, not just positive signs.)
Contrari
hopelessness (The state of having no chance for improvement or success.)
Collocazioni
show promise
|full of promise
|hold promise
Temi
career
|education
|personal development
|business
|core_vocabulary
Esempi
- The young athlete shows great promise.
- This new technology holds promise for cancer treatment.
- Her early work was full of promise.
Esempi per chi studia
- He shows promise as a writer.
- This idea has promise.
- She is full of promise.
- The project holds much promise.
Grammatica
Forma base
promise
IPA
GB/pɹˈɑməs/
US/pɹˈɑməs/
Sillabe e accento
prom - ise (2 sillabe)
Stress on 1st syllable (prom)
Forme flesse
Noun
- Base: promise
- Plural: promise, promises
Verb
- Base: promise
- 3rd Person Singular: promises
- Present Participle: promising
- Past: promised
Famiglia di parole
Forms
promises
noun
promising
verb
promised
verb
Related words
promisingly
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
unpromising
adjective C1
Advanced or less common
promissory
adjective
Espressioni
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.
Esempi
- 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.
Esempi
- 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.
Esempi
- 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.
Esempi
- The new software shows promise in early tests.
- She shows great promise as a pianist.