broken promise
Oath left unkept
A broken promise is a commitment that has been made but not kept.
The phrase emphasizes the failure—not merely an unfulfilled promise, but one that has been violated: His broken promises finally caught up with him.
A pattern of broken promises destroys trust.
- betrayalBreaking of trust
- trustConfidence in another
- oathFormal binding promise
- wedding vowsSpoken marriage commitments
- vowSolemn personal commitment
pinky swear · letdown · let down · disappointment · false hope · shattered · lies · deceit · empty words · unfaithful · stab in the back · empty · words · heartbreak · breach · violation · hollow · abandoned
- Untrustworthy Thingsfair-weather friend, snake in the grass, wolf in sheep's clothing, two-faced, false prophet
- contract breachbreach of contract, contract breach, material breach, non-performance, repudiation
- betrayalsbackstabbing, cheating, disloyalty, double-crossing, infidelity
- letdownsletdown, disappointment, anticlimax, dud, flop
- social wrongsrudeness, disrespect, insults, insult, lying
- story tropesquest, hero's journey, plot twist, chosen one, red herring
broken promiseword of honor
Promise on one's integrity
sacred vow · followed through · made good · solemn vow · iron-clad guarantee
broken promisegood faith
Sincere, honest intent
trustworthiness · reliability · fidelity · faithfulness · dependability
broken, promise, breaks, breaking, broke, unbroken, breakage, breaker, promises