Overpromises

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To make commitments that exceed one's ability to deliver
2. To guarantee more than can realistically be achieved or provided
3. To assure an outcome that is unlikely to be fulfilled or is overly ambitious

Etymology: Overpromise is a plain compound. The prefix "over-," meaning "beyond" or "in excess," comes from Old English "ofer," the same root behind "overdo" and "overflow." The more striking history lies in "promise." It descends from Latin "promittere," built from "pro-," meaning "forth" or "forward," and "mittere," meaning "to send." A promise was originally a commitment sent ahead into the future, where others could hold the sender to it. The past participle "promissum" passed through Old French as "promis" and into English, keeping that sense of a pledge put forward in advance.

Synonyms: exaggerations, overstatements

Antonyms: understatements, truths