Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense confesses, present participle confessing, past tense, past participle confessed
1. verb
If someone confesses to doing something wrong, they admit that they did it.
He had confessed to seventeen murders. [VERB + to]
Her husband confessed to having had an affair. [Vto n/-ing]
I had expected her to confess that she only wrote these books for the money. [VERB that]
Most rape victims confess a feeling of helplessness. [VERB noun]
Ray changed his mind, claiming that he had been forced into confessing. [VERB]
'I played a very bad match,' he confessed. [VERB with quote]
[Also V wh, V pron-refl adj/n]
Synonyms: admit, acknowledge, disclose, confide More Synonyms of confess
2. verb
If someone confesses or confesses their sins, they tell God or a priest about their sins so that they can be forgiven.
You just go to the church and confess your sins. [VERB noun]
Once we have confessed our failures and mistakes to God, we should stop feeling guilty. [VERB noun + to]
[Also V, Vto n]
3.
See I confess/I must confess/I have to confess
More Synonyms of confess
confess in British English
(kənˈfɛs)
verb(when tr, may take a clause as object)
1. (whenintr, often foll by to)
to make an acknowledgment or admission (of faults, misdeeds, crimes, etc)
2. (transitive)
to admit or grant to be true; concede
3. Christianity, mainly Roman Catholic Church
to declare (one's sins) to God or to a priest as his representative, so as to obtain pardon and absolution
Derived forms
confessable (conˈfessable)
adjective
Word origin
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
confess in American English
(kənˈfɛs)
verb transitive
1.
a.
to admit (a fault or crime)
b.
to acknowledge (an opinion or view)
2.
to declare one's faith in
3. OLD-FASHIONED, Poetic
to be evidence of; reveal; manifest
4. Ecclesiastical
a.
to tell (one's sins) to God, esp. in public worship service or in private
b.
to hear the confession of (a person)
said of a priest
verb intransitive
5.
to admit a fault or crime; acknowledge one's guilt
6. Ecclesiastical
a.
to take part in public confession or make one's confession to a priest
b.
to hear confessions
said of a priest
SIMILAR WORDS: acˈknowledge
Idioms:
confess to
stand confessed as
Word origin
ME confessen < OFr confesser < ML(Ec) *confessare < L confessus, pp. of confiteri, to acknowledge, confess < com-, together + fateri, to acknowledge; akin to fari, to speak: see fame
Examples of 'confess' in a sentence
confess
He had no form, had been in no kind of trouble until the urge to confess got into him.
Hilton, John Buxton PASSION IN THE PEAK (2002)
And when I see people in the court, I must confess I watch them.
Val McDermid KICK BACK (2002)
Best to confess your sins in circumstances like this, then hope for expiation.
Adam, Paul A NASTY DOSE OF DEATH (2002)
She was more than happy, proud almost, to confess to Agnes Ferman's murder.
J. A. Jance BREACH OF DUTY (2002)
In other languages
confess
British English: confess /kənˈfɛs/ VERB
If you confess to doing something wrong or something that you are ashamed of, you admit that you did it.
He confessed to the crime.
I had expected her to confess that she only wrote these books for the money.
American English: confess
Arabic: يَعْتَرِفُ
Brazilian Portuguese: confessar
Chinese: 坦白
Croatian: priznati
Czech: přiznat (se)
Danish: tilstå
Dutch: bekennen
European Spanish: confesar
Finnish: tunnustaa
French: confesser
German: gestehen
Greek: ομολογώ
Italian: confessare
Japanese: 自白する
Korean: 고백하다
Norwegian: tilstå
Polish: przyznawać się
European Portuguese: confessar
Romanian: a mărturisi
Russian: признавать
Latin American Spanish: confesar
Swedish: erkänna
Thai: สารภาพ
Turkish: itiraf etmek
Ukrainian: зізнаватися
Vietnamese: thú nhận
Chinese translation of 'confess'
confess
(kənˈfɛs)
vi
(to sin, crime) 坦白 (tǎnbái)
vt
[sin, guilt, crime]坦白 (tǎnbái)
[weakness, ignorance]承认(認) (chéngrèn)
to confess to sth/to doing sth承认(認)某事/做了某事 (chéngrèn mǒushì/zuòle mǒushì)
to confess sth to sb向某人坦白某事 (xiàng mǒurén tǎnbái mǒushì)
I must confess that ... 我得承认(認) ... (wǒ děi chéngrèn ... )
1 (verb)
Definition
to admit (a fault or crime)
He has confessed to seventeen murders.She confesses that she only wrote those books for the money.
Synonyms
admit
A huge proportion of them admit to regularly breaking the laws of the road.
acknowledge
I acknowledge that I made a mistake.
disclose
Neither side would disclose details of the transaction.
confide
He confided his worries to me.
own up
Many establishment figures have owned up to youthful indiscretions.
come clean (informal)
divulge
He was charged with divulging state secrets.
blurt out
come out of the closet
make a clean breast of
get (something) off your chest (informal)
spill your guts (slang)
fess up
sing (slang, mainly US)
cough (slang)
Opposites
cover up
,
deny
,
hide
,
conceal
,
suppress
,
withhold
,
keep secret
,
repudiate
,
hush up
,
keep mum
,
keep under wraps
,
button your lips
2 (verb)
Definition
to admit to be true, esp. reluctantly
I must confess I'm not a great sports enthusiast.
Synonyms
declare
He declared his intention to become the best golfer in the world.
own up
allow
He allows that the development may result in social inequality.
prove
new evidence that could prove their innocence
reveal
grant
The magistrates granted that the charity was justified in bringing the action.
confirm
I can confirm that the area is now in rebel hands.
concede
She finally conceded that he was right.
assert
We assert that the bill violates the First Amendment.
manifest
He's only convincing when that inner fury manifests itself.
affirm
`The place is a dump,' she affirmed.
profess
He professed that he was content with the arrangements.
attest
Records attest to his long history of violence.
evince (formal)
He had never, hitherto, evinced any particular interest in economic matters.
aver
Her friends aver that men find her fascinating.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of acknowledge
Definition
to recognize or admit the truth of a statement
I acknowledge that I made a mistake.
Synonyms
admit,
own up to,
allow,
accept,
reveal,
grant,
declare,
recognize,
yield,
concede,
confess,
disclose,
affirm,
profess,
divulge,
accede,
acquiesce,
fess up (slang)
in the sense of affirm
Definition
to declare to be true
`The place is a dump,' she affirmed.
Synonyms
declare,
state,
maintain,
swear,
assert,
testify,
pronounce,
certify,
attest,
avow,
aver,
asseverate (formal),
avouch
in the sense of allow
Definition
to acknowledge (a point or claim)
He allows that the development may result in social inequality.