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Confess vs Commiserate - What's the difference?

confess | commiserate |

As verbs the difference between confess and commiserate

is that confess is (senseid) to admit to the truth, particularly in the context of sins or crimes committed while commiserate is to feel or express compassion or sympathy for (someone or something).

As an adjective commiserate is

(obsolete|rare) commiserating, pitying, lamentful.

confess

English

Verb

(es)
  • (senseid) To admit to the truth, particularly in the context of sins or crimes committed.
    • People confess to anything under torture.
  • * Shakespeare
    • I never gave it him. Send for him hither, / And let him confess a truth.
  • * Milton
    • And there confess / Humbly our faults, and pardon beg.
  • * Addison
    • I must confess I was most pleased with a beautiful prospect that none of them have mentioned.
  • To acknowledge faith in; to profess belief in.
  • * Bible, Matthew x. 32
    • Whosoever, therefore, shall confess' me before men, him will I ' confess , also, before my Father which is in heaven.
  • * Bible, Acts xxiii. 8
    • For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees confess both.
  • (religion) To unburden (oneself) of sins to a priest, in order to receive absolution.
  • * Addison
    • Our beautiful votary took an opportunity of confessing herself to this celebrated father.
  • (religion) To hear or receive such a confession of sins from.
  • * Ld. Berners
    • He heard mass, and the prince, his son, with him, and the most part of his company were confessed .
  • (senseid) To disclose or reveal.
  • * Alexander Pope
    • Tall thriving trees confessed the fruitful mould.

    Related terms

    * (l) * (l) * (l)

    Derived terms

    * (l), (l)

    See also

    * own up * come clean

    commiserate

    English

    Etymology 1

    From , the perfect passive participle of commiseror.

    Adjective

    (-)
  • (obsolete, rare) commiserating, pitying, lamentful
  • * 1593 : , Christ’s Teares over Jerusalem , page 157 (1815 edited republication)
    • In the time of Gregory Nazianzene, if we may credit ecclesiastical records, there sprung up the direfulest mortality in Rome that mankind hath been acquainted with; scarce able were the living to bury the dead, and not so much but their streets were digged up for graves, which this holy Father (with no little commiserate heart-bleeding) beholding, commanded all the clergy (for he was at that time their chief bishop) to assemble in prayer and supplications, and deal forcingly beseeching with God, to intermit his fury and forgive them.

    References

    * “ †co?mmiserate, ppl. a.'']” listed in the '' [2nd Ed.; 1989

    Etymology 2

    Modelled upon , the perfect passive participial stem of the (etyl) commiseror.

    Alternative forms

    * (l) (obsolete) * (l) (obsolete spelling and modern misspelling) * (l) (obsolete spelling and modern misspelling)

    Verb

  • To feel or express compassion or sympathy for (someone or something).
  • (ambitransitive) To offer condolences jointly with; express sympathy with.
  • To sympathize; condole.
    • Derived terms
    * (l), (l) * (l)

    References

    * “ commiserate, v.'']” listed in the ''Oxford English Dictionary [2nd Ed.; 1989

    Related terms

    * misery ----