Meaning & use
confess
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Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
To admit that you have done something wrong or illegal.
Grammar: Can be used with an object (confess a crime) or without (He confessed.). Often followed by 'to' + noun/gerund: confess to stealing.
Patterns
- confess to something
- confess something
- confess that + clause
She confessed to taking the money from the till.
He finally confessed that he had lied about his qualifications.
The suspect confessed after hours of questioning.
verbtransitive
To admit a feeling or personal fact that you find embarrassing or difficult to say.
Grammar: Takes an object: confess your love, confess your fears. Often used with 'to' + person: confess something to someone.
Patterns
- confess something to someone
- confess that + clause
He confessed his fear of flying to his therapist.
I must confess that I find his jokes a bit childish.
She confessed her jealousy to her best friend.
verbintransitivereligion
In some Christian churches, to tell your sins to a priest in order to receive forgiveness.
Grammar: No object needed; often used with 'to a priest' or 'to God'.
Patterns
- confess to a priest
- confess to God
She goes to church to confess every Saturday.
Catholics are encouraged to confess at least once a year.
He confessed his sins and was given a penance.
Word forms
| third person singular | confesses |
|---|---|
| past tense | confessed |
| past participle | confessed |
| -ing form | confessing |
Common combinations
- confess to a crime
- He confessed to a crime he did not commit.
- confess your sins
- The priest asked him to confess his sins.
- confess everything
- She broke down and confessed everything to the police.
- I must confess
- I must confess, I haven't read the book.
- confess to doing something
- He confessed to stealing the car.
Synonyms and how they differ
- admit
- Admit is more general and less formal; it can be used for facts as well as wrongdoings, while confess often suggests a personal or moral admission.
- own up
- Own up is informal and usually means to admit a minor fault, often to a person in authority; confess is more serious and can be used in legal or religious contexts.
- acknowledge
- Acknowledge is formal and means to accept that something is true, without necessarily suggesting guilt; confess implies you did something wrong.
Opposites
Word family
- confession noun
- A statement in which you admit something, especially a crime or a sin.
- confessional noun
- A small enclosed place in a church where a priest hears confessions.
- confessed adjective
- Admitted openly; used before a noun, e.g. a confessed thief.
Commonly confused: confess or confess?
confess vs confess
Not to be confused with 'confuse', which means to mix up or bewilder. Confess is about admitting; confuse is about misunderstanding or making someone puzzled.
Practice
She finally ______ to her mother about breaking the vase.
Choose one answer.
The past tense 'confessed' is needed to match the past-time context. 'Confess' is the base form and would be wrong here; 'confessing' would need an auxiliary like 'was'; 'confesses' is present tense and does not fit the past narrative.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “confess”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.