confess
Formsconfesses, confessing, confessed
- 1To admit that you did something wrong, like a crime or a sin.
Like telling someone the truth after hiding it for a while.
Suspects often confess when they realize the evidence is overwhelming.
He confessed the crime to the police that evening.
Similaradmit, acknowledge, own, concede
Oppositedeny, conceal, disavow
Note
- 2To tell something that you had kept secret or hidden.
Like finally sharing a secret you had been holding inside.
I must confess that I completely forgot your birthday.
She confessed her fear of flying to her closest friend.
Similaradmit, reveal, disclose, acknowledge, divulge
Oppositeconceal, hide, deny, suppress
Note
- 3To tell your sins to God or a priest so that you can be forgiven.
Like telling a trusted person about your mistakes so you feel lighter.
Many believers confess before the great feast each year.
He confesses every week at his local parish.
Note
- 4To say openly that you believe in something or someone.
Like openly telling everyone which side you stand with.
Early Christians would confess their faith even when threatened.
She confessed her belief in God before the whole congregation.
Similarprofess, proclaim, declare, affirm, avow
Oppositedeny, renounce, recant, abjure
Note
- 5To listen as someone tells their sins, the way a priest does.
Like a teacher listening quietly as a student admits what they did.
The old priest confessed the dying man at his bedside.
A visiting chaplain came to confess the prisoners that week.
Note
- 6
Practice
Can you tell the meanings of confess apart? Answer 4 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.
Origin
From Latin, from a word meaning "I admit," which came into English through Old French.