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Promise vs Underpromise - What's the difference?

promise | underpromise |

In lang=en terms the difference between promise and underpromise

is that promise is to give grounds for expectation, especially of something good while underpromise is to promise less than one expects to do.

As verbs the difference between promise and underpromise

is that promise is to commit to something or action; to make an oath; make a vow while underpromise is to promise less than one expects to do.

As a noun promise

is an oath or affirmation; a vow.

promise

English

Alternative forms

* promyse

Noun

(en noun)
  • An oath or affirmation; a vow.
  • A transaction between two persons whereby the first person undertakes in the future to render some service or gift to the second person or devotes something valuable now and here to his use.
  • * 1668 July 3rd, , “Thomas Rue contra'' Andrew Hou?toun” in ''The Deci?ions of the Lords of Council & Se??ion I (Edinburgh, 1683), pages 547–548
    • He pur?ued Andrew Hou?toun upon his promi?e , to give him the like Sallary for the next year, and in ab?ence obtained him to be holden as confe?t and Decerned.
  • Reason to expect improvement or success; potential.
  • * Washington Irving
    • My native country was full of youthful promise .
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), chapter=1
    • , title=(The China Governess) citation , passage=The original family who had begun to build a palace to rival Nonesuch had died out before they had put up little more than the gateway, so that the actual structure which had come down to posterity retained the secret magic of a promise rather than the overpowering splendour of a great architectural achievement.}}
  • (computing, programming) A placeholder object that can be manipulated in code before it has been assigned a value.
  • (obsolete) Bestowal or fulfillment of what is promised.
  • * Bible, Acts i. 4
    • He commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father.

    Verb

    (promis)
  • To commit to something or action; to make an oath; make a vow.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-22, volume=407, issue=8841, page=70, magazine=(The Economist)
    • , title= Engineers of a different kind , passage=Private-equity nabobs bristle at being dubbed mere financiers.
  • To give grounds for expectation, especially of something good.
    • The clouds promise rain.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1897, author=
    • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=1 citation , passage=I liked the man for his own sake, and even had he promised to turn out a celebrity it would have had no weight with me. I look upon notoriety with the same indifference as on the buttons on a man's shirt-front, or the crest on his note-paper.}}

    Usage notes

    * This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive . See

    Synonyms

    *

    Related terms

    * promissory * promised * promising

    See also

    * (election promise)

    Statistics

    *

    External links

    * *

    Anagrams

    * English reporting verbs 1000 English basic words ----

    underpromise

    English

    Verb

    (underpromis)
  • To promise less than one expects to do.
  • *{{quote-news, year=2008, date=April 4, author=Richard Sandomir, title=Fixing a Broken Dream One Night at a Time, work=New York Times citation
    • , passage=“He’s wise not to overpromise, but to underpromise and overdeliver,” said Dave Checketts, a former president of the Knicks and then Madison Square Garden who left in 2001 after a power struggle with James L. Dolan, the chairman of the Garden. }}