confess

confess
con|fess [ kən`fes ] verb intransitive or transitive **
1. ) to admit that you have committed a crime:
After three hours of interrogation, he confessed everything.
confess to someone: Eventually he confessed to the police.
confess to (doing) something: Simpson has confessed to taking the money.
confess (that): He later confessed that he had been involved in the attack.
a ) to admit that you have done something wrong:
He confessed to Sarah that he had been seeing another woman.
2. ) to admit something about yourself that you would not normally tell people because you are embarrassed about it or they could be disappointed by it:
I had to confess my ignorance when they asked me to operate the truck.
confess (that): He confessed he did not understand financial matters at all.
confess to doing something: Nick confessed to being a secret opera fan.
confess to someone that: Years later Luke confessed to friends that he really fancied me.
3. ) to tell a priest about the bad things you have done, and ask to be forgiven for them
I must confess SPOKEN
used when you are admitting a feeling or opinion that you would not normally tell people about:
I must confess I was slightly annoyed by his attitude.

Usage of the words and phrases in modern English. 2013.

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Synonyms:

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Confess — Con*fess , v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Confessed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Confessing}.] [F. confesser, fr. L. confessus, p. p. of confiteri to confess; con + fateri to confess; akin to fari to speak. See 2d {Ban}, {Fame}.] 1. To make acknowledgment or avowal… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • confess — con·fess /kən fes/ vt: to admit (as a charge or allegation) as true, proven, or valid unless you answer, the petition shall be taken as confessed vi: to make a confession con·fes·sor /kən fe sər/ n Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law …   Law dictionary

  • Confess — Con*fess , v. i. 1. To make confession; to disclose sins or faults, or the state of the conscience. [1913 Webster] Every tongue shall confess to God. Rom. xiv. 11. [1913 Webster] 2. To acknowledge; to admit; to concede. [1913 Webster] But since… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • confess — [kən fes′] vt. [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] 1. a) to admit (a fault or crime) …   English World dictionary

  • confess — late 14c., from O.Fr. confesser (trans. and intrans.), from V.L. *confessare, from L. confess , pp. stem of confiteri to acknowledge, from com together (see COM (Cf. com )) + fateri to admit, akin to fari speak (see FAME …   Etymology dictionary

  • confess to — To admit, acknowledge • • • Main Entry: ↑confess …   Useful english dictionary

  • confess — avow, *acknowledge, admit, own Analogous words: *grant, concede, allow: disclose, divulge, *reveal, discover: *declare, proclaim, publish Antonyms: renounce (one s beliefs, principles) …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • confess — [v] admit, confirm acknowledge, affirm, allow, assert, attest, aver, avow, blow, blurt out, chirp, clue in, come clean*, come out, concede, confide, declare, disclose, divulge, dump on*, evince, finger*, fink*, grant, humble oneself, leak*, let… …   New thesaurus

  • confess — ► VERB 1) admit to a crime or wrongdoing. 2) acknowledge reluctantly. 3) declare one s sins formally to a priest. 4) (of a priest) hear the confession of. ORIGIN Old French confesser, from Latin confiteri acknowledge …   English terms dictionary

  • confess */*/ — UK [kənˈfes] / US verb [intransitive/transitive] Word forms confess : present tense I/you/we/they confess he/she/it confesses present participle confessing past tense confessed past participle confessed 1) a) to admit that you have committed a… …   English dictionary

  • confess — con|fess [kənˈfes] v [I and T] [Date: 1300 1400; : Old French; Origin: confesser, from Latin confiteri to confess , from com ( COM ) + fateri to confess ] 1.) to admit, especially to the police, that you have done something wrong or illegal… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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