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