confide

American  

[kuhn-fahyd] / kənˈfaɪd /

verb (used without object)

confided, confiding

1. to impart secrets trustfully; discuss private matters or problems (usually followed byin ).

   She confides in no one but her husband.

2. to have full trust; have faith.

   They confided in their own ability.

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verb (used with object)

confided, confiding

1. to tell in assurance of secrecy.

   He confided all his plans to her.

   Synonyms:

   impart, divulge, reveal, disclose

2. to entrust; commit to the charge or knowledge of another.

   She confided her jewelry to her sister.

confide British  

/ kənˈfaɪd /

verb

1. to disclose (secret or personal matters) in confidence (to); reveal in private (to)

2. to have complete trust

3. (tr) to entrust into another's keeping

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Other Word Forms

• confider noun
• preconfide verb
• unconfided adjective
• well-confided adjective

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.

Example Sentences

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

Rick turned to his circle of friends to confide his greatest fears of being left alone, sparing Suzanne.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 10, 2026

Wright told reporters that Beam was “someone I could confide in, someone that I love dearly.”

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 17, 2025

I’ve often imagined how nice it would be if someone were to confide everything to me.

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank

Related Words

• admit
• confess
• disclose
• impart
• reveal
• suggest
• whisper