confess

[ kuhn-fes ]

/ kənˈfɛs /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: confess / confessed / confesses on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to acknowledge or avow (a fault, crime, misdeed, weakness, etc.) by way of revelation.

to own or admit as true: I must confess that I haven't read the book.

to declare or acknowledge (one's sins), especially to God or a priest in order to obtain absolution.

(of a priest) to hear the confession of (a person).

to acknowledge one's belief or faith in; declare adherence to.

to reveal by circumstances.

verb (used without object)

to make confession plead guilty; own: to confess to a crime.

to make confession of sins, especially to a priest.

(of a priest) to hear confession.

OTHER WORDS FOR confess

2 grant, concede.

See synonyms for confess on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR confess

1 conceal.

2 deny.

See antonyms for confess on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of confess

1300–50; Middle English confessen<Anglo-French, Old French confesser<Medieval Latin confessāre, verbal derivative of Latin confessus, past participle of confitērī to admit, confess, equivalent to con-con- + -fitērī, combining form of fatērī to admit

synonym study for confess

1. See acknowledge.

OTHER WORDS FROM confess

con·fess·a·ble, adjectivecon·fess·ingly, adverbhalf-con·fessed, adjectivepre·con·fess, verb (used with object)

un·con·fessed, adjectiveun·con·fess·ing, adjective

Words nearby confess

conferral, conferred, conferree, conferring, conferva, confess, confessant, confessedly, confession, confessional, confessionalism

How to use confess in a sentence

Yin Hongzhang confessed to expediting Sinovac’s vaccine certifications in return.
As China nears a coronavirus vaccine, bribery cloud hangs over drugmaker Sinovac|Eva Dou|December 4, 2020|Washington Post
When Mahomes was drafted in 2017, Hill confessed this week, he didn’t think much of his would-be partner.
Tyreek Hill once thought Patrick Mahomes was ‘trash.’ Now they’re the NFL’s deadliest duo.|Cindy Boren, Neil Greenberg|December 3, 2020|Washington Post
The jury was split 10 to 2 on most of the robbery charges and 11 to 1 on the rest, and Edwards — who police said confessed — was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Supreme Court weighs whether its ruling requiring unanimous juries should be applied retroactively|Robert Barnes|December 2, 2020|Washington Post
She confessed to the police that she had stolen drugs and patients’ property.
She Was Afraid of Her Lawyer. Then the Text Messages Started.|by Samantha Hogan, The Maine Monitor|October 8, 2020|ProPublica

“I never wanted to play guitar,” he confessed at a talk at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in 2015.
Guitar legend Eddie Van Halen dies of cancer at 65|radmarya|October 6, 2020|Fortune
I have to confess, I had no idea that Whitney had a rumored gay lover before reading about your role in this movie.
Inside the Lifetime Whitney Houston Movie’s Lesbian Lover Storyline|Kevin Fallon|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And, again, I now confess, I had an occasional Bourbon and stoogie on the cuff.
Up to a Point: In Defense of Lobbyists|P. J. O’Rourke|October 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I will now confess that I spent some time in the lobby of the Willard Hotel myself.
Up to a Point: In Defense of Lobbyists|P. J. O’Rourke|October 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Spitz “persuaded Schwend that his best chance would be to confess his activities with the RSHA and to cooperate with us.”
On the Trail of Nazi Counterfeiters|Dr. Kevin C. Ruffner|September 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
During their incarceration, they were humiliated and forced to confess on national television.
Iran Court Sentences ‘Happy’ Dancers to 6 months and 91 Lashes|IranWire|September 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When the father had finished, he stabbed his wife, telling her to repent of her sins and to confess to God who would pardon her.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
Pride forbade him to confess himself a homeless, penniless vagabond.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
If I were a vain man I should confess that they rather gave themselves away.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
And yet the demand has the clearest and strongest basis of natural and eternal justice, as any fair mind must confess.
Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley
At last even Massna had to confess himself beaten and fall back on Santarem.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison

British Dictionary definitions for confess

confess

/ (kənˈfɛs) /

verb (when tr, may take a clause as object)

(when intr, often foll by to) to make an acknowledgment or admission (of faults, misdeeds, crimes, etc)

(tr) to admit or grant to be true; concede

Christianity, mainly RC Church to declare (one's sins) to God or to a priest as his representative, so as to obtain pardon and absolution

Derived forms of confess

confessable, adjective

Word Origin for confess

C14: from Old French confesser, from Late Latin confessāre, from Latin confessus confessed, from confitērī to admit, from fatērī to acknowledge; related to Latin fārī to speak

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

confess

OTHER WORDS FOR confess

OPPOSITES FOR confess

Origin of confess

synonym study for confess

OTHER WORDS FROM confess

Words nearby confess

Words related to confess

How to use confess in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for confess

Derived forms of confess

Word Origin for confess