Promise vs. Spell — What's the Difference?
Difference Between Promise and Spell
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Compare with Definitions
Promise
A promise is a commitment by someone to do or not do something. As a noun promise means a declaration assuring that one will or will not do something.
Spell
To name or write in order the letters constituting (a word).
Promise
A declaration or assurance that one will do something or that a particular thing will happen
I did not keep my promise to go home early
What happened to all those firm promises of support?
Spell
To constitute the letters of (a word)
These letters spell animal.
Promise
The quality of potential excellence
He showed great promise even as a junior officer
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Spell
To add up to; signify
Their unwise investment could spell financial ruin.
Promise
Assure someone that one will definitely do something or that something will happen
She made him promise that he wouldn't do it again
He promised to forward my mail
He promised her the job
‘I'll bring it straight back,’ she promised
Spell
To name or write in order the letters of a word or words
I've never been able to spell very well.
Promise
Give good grounds for expecting (a particular occurrence)
It promised to be a night that all would remember
Forthcoming concerts promise a feast of music
Spell
To put (someone) under a spell; bewitch.
Promise
A declaration assuring that one will or will not do something; a vow.
Spell
To relieve (someone) from work temporarily by taking a turn.
Promise
Something promised.
Spell
To allow (someone) to rest a while.
Promise
Indication of something favorable to come; expectation
A promise of spring in the air.
Spell
To take turns working.
Promise
Indication of future excellence or success
A player of great promise.
Spell
(Australian) To rest for a time from an activity.
Promise
To commit oneself by a promise to do or give; pledge
Left but promised to return.
Spell
A word or formula believed to have magic power.
Promise
To afford a basis for expecting
Thunderclouds that promise rain.
Spell
A bewitched state or trance
The sorcerer put the prince under a spell.
Promise
To make a declaration assuring that something will or will not be done.
Spell
A compelling attraction; charm or fascination
The spell of the theater.
Promise
To afford a basis for expectation
An enterprise that promises well.
Spell
A short, indefinite period of time.
Promise
(countable) an oath or affirmation; a vow
If I make a promise, I always stick to it;
He broke his promise
Spell
(Informal) A period of weather of a particular kind
A dry spell.
Promise
(countable) 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.
Spell
One's turn at work.
Promise
(uncountable) Reason to expect improvement or success; potential.
She shows great promise as an actress.
Spell
A period of work; a shift.
Promise
A placeholder object representing the eventual result of an asynchronous operation.
Spell
(Australian) A period of rest.
Promise
Bestowal or fulfillment of what is promised
Spell
(Informal) A period of physical or mental disorder or distress
A dizzy spell.
Promise
(ambitransitive) To commit to (some action or outcome), or to assure (a person) of such commitment; to make an oath or vow.
If you promise not to tell anyone, I will let you have this cake for free.
She promised to never return to this town again.
He promised me a big kiss if I would drive him to the airport.
I can't promise success, but I'll do the best I can.
Spell
(Informal) A short distance.
Promise
(intransitive) To give grounds for expectation, especially of something good.
The clouds promise rain.
Spell
Words or a formula supposed to have magical powers.
He cast a spell to cure warts.
Promise
In general, a declaration, written or verbal, made by one person to another, which binds the person who makes it to do, or to forbear to do, a specified act; a declaration which gives to the person to whom it is made a right to expect or to claim the performance or forbearance of a specified act.
For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
Spell
A magical effect or influence induced by an incantation or formula.
Under a spell
Promise
An engagement by one person to another, either in words or in writing, but properly not under seal, for the performance or nonperformance of some particular thing. The word promise is used to denote the mere engagement of a person, without regard to the consideration for it, or the corresponding duty of the party to whom it is made.
Spell
(obsolete) Speech, discourse.
Promise
That which causes hope, expectation, or assurance; especially, that which affords expectation of future distinction; as, a youth of great promise.
My native country was full of youthful promise.
Spell
A shift (of work); (rare) a set of workers responsible for a specific turn of labour.
Promise
Bestowal, fulfillment, or grant of what is promised.
He . . . commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father.
Spell
(informal) A definite period (of work or other activity).
Promise
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.
Spell
(colloquial) An indefinite period of time (usually with a qualifier); by extension, a relatively short distance.
Promise
To afford reason to expect; to cause hope or assurance of; as, the clouds promise rain.
Spell
A period of rest; time off.
Promise
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.
I dare promise myself you will attest the truth of all I have advanced.
Spell
A period of illness, or sudden interval of bad spirits, disease etc.
Promise
To give assurance by a promise, or binding declaration.
Spell
(cricket) An uninterrupted series of alternate overs bowled by a single bowler.
Promise
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.
Spell
(dialectal) A splinter, usually of wood; a spelk.
Promise
A verbal commitment by one person to another agreeing to do (or not to do) something in the future
Spell
The wooden bat in the game of trap ball, or knurr and spell.
Promise
Grounds for feeling hopeful about the future;
There is little or no promise that he will recover
Spell
To put under the influence of a spell; to affect by a spell; to bewitch; to fascinate; to charm.
Promise
Make a promise or commitment
Spell
To read (something) as though letter by letter; to peruse slowly or with effort.
Promise
Promise to undertake or give;
I promise you my best effort
Spell
To write or say the letters that form a word or part of a word.
Promise
Make a prediction about; tell in advance;
Call the outcome of an election
Spell
(intransitive) To be able to write or say the letters that form words.
I find it difficult to spell because I'm dyslexic.
Promise
Give grounds for expectations;
The new results were promising
The results promised fame and glory
Spell
(transitive) Of letters: to compose (a word).
The letters “a”, “n” and “d” spell “and”.
Spell
To clarify; to explain in detail.
Please spell it out for me.
Spell
(transitive) To indicate that (some event) will occur.
This spells trouble.
Spell
To constitute; to measure.
Spell
(obsolete) To speak, to declaim.
Spell
(obsolete) To tell; to relate; to teach.
Spell
(transitive) To work in place of (someone).
To spell the helmsman
Spell
(transitive) To rest (someone or something), to give someone or something a rest or break.
They spelled the horses and rested in the shade of some trees near a brook.
Spell
To rest from work for a time.
Spell
A spelk, or splinter.
Spell
The relief of one person by another in any piece of work or watching; also, a turn at work which is carried on by one person or gang relieving another; as, a spell at the pumps; a spell at the masthead.
A spell at the wheel is called a trick.
Spell
The time during which one person or gang works until relieved; hence, any relatively short period of time, whether a few hours, days, or weeks.
Nothing new has happened in this quarter, except the setting in of a severe spell of cold weather.
Spell
One of two or more persons or gangs who work by spells.
Their toil is so extreme that they can not endure it above four hours in a day, but are succeeded by spells.
Spell
A gratuitous helping forward of another's work; as, a logging spell.
Spell
A story; a tale.
Spell
A stanza, verse, or phrase supposed to be endowed with magical power; an incantation; hence, any charm.
Start not; her actions shall be holy asYou hear my spell is lawful.
Spell
To supply the place of for a time; to take the turn of, at work; to relieve; as, to spell the helmsman.
Spell
To tell; to relate; to teach.
Might I that legend find,By fairies spelt in mystic rhymes.
Spell
To put under the influence of a spell; to affect by a spell; to bewitch; to fascinate; to charm.
He was much spelled with Eleanor Talbot.
Spell
To constitute; to measure.
The Saxon heptarchy, when seven kings put together did spell but one in effect.
Spell
To tell or name in their proper order letters of, as a word; to write or print in order the letters of, esp. the proper letters; to form, as words, by correct orthography.
The word "satire" ought to be spelled with i, and not with y.
Spell
To discover by characters or marks; to read with difficulty; - usually with out; as, to spell out the sense of an author; to spell out a verse in the Bible.
To spell out a God in the works of creation.
To sit spelling and observing divine justice upon every accident.
Spell
To form words with letters, esp. with the proper letters, either orally or in writing.
When what small knowledge was, in them did dwell,And he a god, who could but read or spell.
Spell
To study by noting characters; to gain knowledge or learn the meaning of anything, by study.
Where I may sit and rightly spellOf every star that heaven doth shew,And every herb that sips the dew.
Spell
A psychological state induced by (or as if induced by) a magical incantation
Spell
A time for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else);
It's my go
A spell of work
Spell
A period of indeterminate length (usually short) marked by some action or condition;
He was here for a little while
I need to rest for a piece
A spell of good weather
A patch of bad weather
Spell
A verbal formula believed to have magical force;
He whispered a spell as he moved his hands
Inscribed around its base is a charm in Balinese
Spell
Recite the letters of or give the spelling of;
How do you spell this word?
Spell
Indicate or signify;
I'm afraid this spells trouble!
Spell
Write or name the letters that comprise the conventionally accepted form of (a word or part of a word);
He spelled the word wrong in this letter
Spell
Place under a spell
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