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Confide vs Confess - What's the difference?

confide | confess |

As verbs the difference between confide and confess

is that confide is to trust, have faith (in) while confess is (to admit to the truth) To admit to the truth, particularly in the context of sins or crimes committed.

confide

English

Verb

(en-verb)
  • To trust, have faith (in ).
  • * 1796 , Matthew Lewis, The Monk , Folio Society 1985, p. 269:
  • "Be calm, lovely Antonia!" he replied; "no danger in near you: confide in my protection."
  • * 1818 , Mary Shelley, Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus , Everyman's Library 1973, p. 10:
  • "I shall do nothing rashly: you know me sufficiently to confide in my prudence and consideration whenever the safety of others is committed to my care."
  • * Byron
  • In thy protection I confide .
  • (dated) To entrust (something) to the responsibility of someone.
  • I confide this mission to you alone.
  • To take (someone) into one's confidence, to speak in secret with. ( + in )
  • I could no longer keep this secret alone; I decided to confide in my brother.
  • (intransitive) To say (something) in confidence.
  • After several drinks, I confided my problems to the barman.
    She confided that her marriage had been in trouble for some time.

    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.

    Derived terms

    * (l), (l)

    See also

    * own up * come clean