PROMISING • DICTIONARY ONE.COM • Definition of Promising

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/prˈɑməsɪŋ/ Listen

verb

Promise v. t. (past & past part. promised; pres. part. promising)

1.

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."

2.

To afford reason to expect; to cause hope or assurance of; as, the clouds promise rain.

3.

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.

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. "I dare promise myself you will attest the truth of all I have advanced."

Promise v. i.

1.

To give assurance by a promise, or binding declaration.

2.

To afford hopes or expectation; to give ground to expect good; rarely, to give reason to expect evil. "Will not the ladies be afeard of the lion? I fear it, I promise you."

adjective

Promising adj. Making a promise or promises; affording hope or assurance; as, promising person; a promising day.

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Etymology of 'Promising'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Promising" Quotes from Famous Books

... enables breeders to determine which of their calves are most promising, and in purchasing young stock it affords indications which rarely fail as to their comparative milk yield. These indications occasionally prove utterly fallacious, and Mr. Guenon gives rules for determining this class, ...

— Scientific American Supplement No. 275 • Various

... Donatello, over his collections, with a special commission to aid and instruct the young men who used them. With the same intention of forming an academy or school of art, Lorenzo went to Ghirlandajo, and begged him to select from his pupils those whom he considered the most promising. Ghirlandajo accordingly drafted off Francesco Granacci and Michelangelo Buonarroti. Since Michelangelo had been formally articled by his father to Ghirlandajo in 1488, he can hardly have left that master in 1489 as unceremoniously as Condivi asserts. Therefore we may, I think, ...

— The Life of Michelangelo Buonarroti • John Addington Symonds

... condition of his health would have made this necessary in any case, and Philip II was in fact sole king. His first important step was his marriage in April, 1180, to the niece of the Count of Flanders, Isabel of Hainault, the childless count promising an important cession of the territory of south-western Flanders to France to take place on his own death, and hoping no doubt to secure a permanent influence through the queen, while Philip probably intended ...

— The History of England From the Norman Conquest - to the Death of John (1066-1216) • George Burton Adams

... telephone she heard him now promising Jim that he would not tell Kedzie. If Jim's old valet, Jules, had not gone to France and his death he would have saved Jim from infernal distresses, but this substitute had a malignant interest in his master's confusion. Dallam proceeded forthwith to rap at Mrs. ...

— We Can't Have Everything • Rupert Hughes

... Cornelius showed neither inclination nor capacity to engage in a business career. If Cornelius had gambled on the stock exchange his father would have set him down as an exceedingly enterprising, respectable and promising man. But he preferred to gamble at cards. This rebellious lack of interest in business, joined with dissipation, so enraged the old man that he drove Cornelius from the house and only allowed him access ...

— Great Fortunes from Railroads • Gustavus Myers

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