confide
Americanverb (used without object)
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confides,
present (3rd person singular)
-
confided,
past participle, past
-
confiding
present participle
-
to impart secrets trustfully; discuss private matters or problems (usually followed byin ).
She confides in no one but her husband.
-
to have full trust; have faith.
They confided in their own ability.
verb (used with object)
-
confides,
present (3rd person singular)
-
confided,
past participle, past
-
confiding
present participle
verb
-
to disclose (secret or personal matters) in confidence (to); reveal in private (to)
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to have complete trust
-
(tr) to entrust into another's keeping
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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confidesimple
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confidessimple
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have confidedperfect
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has confidedperfect
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am confidingprogressive
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are confidingprogressive
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is confidingprogressive
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have been confidingperfect progressive
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has been confidingperfect progressive
Past
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confidedsimple
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had confidedperfect
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was confidingprogressive
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were confidingprogressive
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had been confidingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of confide
First recorded in 1625–35; from Latin confīdere, from con- con- + fīdere “to trust” (akin to fidēs “faith, trust”; see fidelity)
Explanation
To confide in someone is to tell them something privately. We confide in people we trust. We all have secrets and subjects that are hard to talk about. When we want to talk about something sensitive, we look for someone to confide in: a person we trust not to blab about our business to the rest of the world. Most people confide in close friends or family, often to get advice. If you tell someone a secret, and then they tell ten of their friends, you made a mistake by confiding in that person.
Vocabulary lists containing confide
"Of Mice and Men"
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List 15
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Bronx Masquerade
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
In the school corridor, outside an English classroom decorated with artwork depicting various Shakespeare plays, friends Hena and Fena confide they have mixed feelings about the ban.
From BBC ● Mar. 25, 2026
It might be tempting to confide in colleagues that you’re having a hard time connecting with your manager, but that probably isn’t a good idea, Williams says.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 28, 2026
"She was looking for a father figure to speak to and confide in and from whom to get guidance," the tribunal said.
From BBC ● Feb. 17, 2026
She started to confide in friends about stress, or things that bothered her, which otherwise would have stayed inside.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 9, 2026
My close friendship with Helmut led me to confide in him about my dilemma.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
In Naiguata, a small coastal town famous for its traditional "dancing devils" festival, Cesar Rendon, 49, a former inmate who lived in the town's halfway house, confides that he "unburdened himself" with Apostol.
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
She confides her joy in working there and also tells John that he was abandoned as a baby on the steps of the store.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026
Throughout the series, M confides in the camera, an unusual technique that draws its inspiration from Jonas’ theater background.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 26, 2026
"A year ago, I was struggling," she confides.
From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2025
“This is my third time here,” she confides in me.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
Steve, a devout Catholic, confided that he felt more fulfilled helping people in need than running a business that made industrial components.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
While wrestling with his response to the Roebucks, Walters confided in Collins, his half brother.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
But alone in the living room, Nasir, 47, confided that his younger daughter "is depressed and does not always have strong morale to continue learning on her own at home."
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
Despite being incredibly upset, Emma did not report the doctor to police and instead confided in her husband.
From BBC ● Jun. 1, 2026
Nikita Khrushchev often confided in his son when they were alone.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
You can’t get through to a victim who has stopped confiding in you.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026
Anonymized data flags recurring themes in what congregants are confiding to the bot.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
After confiding in a padre - a military chaplain - the 56-year-old says she was reported to bosses and admitted to hospital, where she was held in isolation.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
As more emails emerge, there's a growing impression of how much Ferguson seemed to depend on Epstein, telling him he was her "pillar" and confiding "I have been so so sad".
From BBC ● Feb. 3, 2026
He smiles, going in for the kill, leaning toward me as if confiding a secret.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
