confess
Americanverb (used with object)
-
confesses,
present (3rd person singular)
-
confessed,
past participle, past
-
confessing
present participle
-
to acknowledge or avow (a fault, crime, misdeed, weakness, etc.) by way of revelation.
- Antonyms:
- conceal
-
to own or admit as true.
I must confess that I haven't read the book.
- Antonyms:
- deny
-
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)
-
confesses,
present (3rd person singular)
-
confessed,
past participle, past
-
confessing
present participle
-
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.
verb
-
to make an acknowledgment or admission (of faults, misdeeds, crimes, etc)
-
(tr) to admit or grant to be true; concede
-
Christianity RC Church to declare (one's sins) to God or to a priest as his representative, so as to obtain pardon and absolution
Synonym Usage
See acknowledge.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
preconfessverb (used with object)
-
confessableadjective
-
half-confessedadjective
-
unconfessedadjective
-
unconfessingadjective
-
confessinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
confesssimple
-
confessessimple
-
have confessedperfect
-
has confessedperfect
-
am confessingprogressive
-
are confessingprogressive
-
is confessingprogressive
-
have been confessingperfect progressive
-
has been confessingperfect progressive
Past
-
confessedsimple
-
had confessedperfect
-
was confessingprogressive
-
were confessingprogressive
-
had been confessingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
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
Explanation
When you confess, you admit to doing something wrong. You might feel guilty about eating the entire platter of chocolate chip cookies and confess to your mom before she notices. If she presses charges, you would confess to the cookie crime. Confess can be used to describe admitting to committing a crime. If you watch crime shows on TV, you've likely seen detectives trying to get a suspect to confess. Confess can also be used in a religious context. Catholics confess their sins to a priest on a regular basis. Don't confuse the word confess with apology. An apology involves expressing regret about something. When you confess, you're merely owning up to doing it — you might not be sorry.
Vocabulary lists containing confess
"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act IV
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"America"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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 it, Walters expressed regret, but he had decided not to confess to the crime.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
I confess that the Multistrada is a sentimental favorite from my youth—well, middle age—such that I may put aside some rational considerations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026
I must confess that I long ago lost interest in what he was selling.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
But when she does lie, she is compelled to confess, even when the fib is innocuous.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
I confess I wasn’t too clear exactly what that meant, but I followed everybody else and got colored paper and glue and scissors.
From "Wish" by Barbara O'Connor
“I also grew up watching a lot of telenovelas. They were really formative for me, specifically, the telenovelas on the local Channel 2,” Eimbcke confesses.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
He confesses to catching one game—a victory for Spain—in a ramshackle café in a Galician village.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026
Muir confesses that this feature of the market is overlooked by many market players, partly because it’s esoteric and seemingly innocuous.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026
Member Su-Elise Nash confesses her son "didn't even know I was in a singing group six months ago".
From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026
"They're having some big fight," she confesses when she joins us.
From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez
When quizzed by the organisers, the miscreants confessed that they had sanded them into a better shape - and were duly disqualified.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
These are utterly baseless, as Lindsay Clancy has confessed.
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026
“If my wife finds out, I will be in serious trouble,” said Yoon, who says he confessed only to a bit of bad luck without giving details.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
As one security guard confessed to those checking to see if their VIP wristbands granted them access to the coveted Clubhouse lawn, “I wish I could let you all in.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
Because, yeah, he was excited to see her, but he was about to confess something—maybe the biggest mistake he’d ever made—and he didn’t want her to be there when he confessed it.
From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds
“Everyone was applauding and smiling at me,” he says, confessing to having been extremely nervous.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
By genuinely confessing on the dance floor, Madonna has made a far more moving and crucial “biopic” than any shiny studio film could afford her.
From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026
Hollywood star Angelina Jolie has put her legendary Los Angeles estate on the market for $29.9 million—nearly two years after confessing that she wanted to leave the U.S. for good and move abroad.
From MarketWatch ● May 19, 2026
After confessing his illiteracy on TikTok, a fitness influencer discovered that his online audience was ready to help him learn to read.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 2, 2026
My ridiculous daydreams about confessing my true feelings to Trey had always been sprinkled with puns or jokes, strategies for laughing it off without missing a beat, if he wasn’t receptive.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
