promises

1. 1
   noun

   Plural of promise.

   The contract laid out a long list of promises from both sides.

   Empty promises from the company left the workers feeling betrayed.

   Note

   A plural that only some meanings of the noun can take. Vows, pledges and contractual undertakings can be counted, and so can programmers' placeholders for the result of an asynchronous operation. But promise in the sense of potential is uncountable, so a gifted student shows promise, never promises. The same spelling also serves as the verb's he-she-it form. Context tells them apart: empty promises is a noun phrase, and she promises is a verb.

2. 2
   verb

   Third-person singular simple present indicative of promise.

   The new mayor promises lower taxes for small businesses.

   Each spring, the orchard promises another good harvest.

   Note

   The present-tense form for a singular subject, and it carries two distinct meanings. With a person as subject it commits: the mayor promises lower taxes, or promises voters a reply, taking one object or two. With a thing as subject it forecasts, giving grounds to expect something good, as when an orchard promises a harvest. For I, you, we and they, the bare form promise does the same work.

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