confess Hear it!

confess Definition

con·fess (kən fes′)

transitive verb

    1. to admit (a fault or crime)
    2. to acknowledge (an opinion or view)
  2. to declare one's faith in
  3. Old Poet. to be evidence of; reveal; manifest
  4. Eccles.
    1. to tell (one's sins) to God, esp. in public worship service or in private
    2. to hear the confession of (a person): said of a priest

Etymology: 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

intransitive verb

  1. to admit a fault or crime; acknowledge one's guilt
  2. Eccles.
    1. to take part in public confession or make one's confession to a priest
    2. to hear confessions: said of a priest

confess Idioms

confess to

to admit or admit having; acknowledge

stand confessed as

to be revealed or admitted as

confess Synonyms

confess

v.

  1. To admit

    acknowledge, own, concede; see admit 3.

  2. To recount one's evil actions

    admit, divulge, relate, own up*; see admit 2.

  3. To participate in the sacrament of confession

    go to confession, be shriven, confess to the priest, receive absolution, humble oneself, stand confessed as, make a confession; see also admit 2.

  4. To profess

    announce, state, avow; see declare 1. See syn. study at admit.

confess Usage Examples

Object

  • sin: That's why you need to confess these sins.
  • ignorance: Others may know, but Land-Care confesses ignorance, as to how the judge leading the inquiry ( Lord Hutton ) was appointed.
  • truth: Will any of the ' elders ' stop their incessant whining and confess the truth to their mislead ' youngers ' ?
  • faith: This may well help us understand why people of no confessed faith are moved by Bach's Passions.
  • murder: Later she approaches and confesses the murder of her father.
  • everything: Beside, I was satisfied that Cordiani would confess everything to the monk, and I was deeply sorry.

Preposition: at

  • time: I have to confess at the time I protested by not going to your shows or buying the new records.

Preposition: that

  • year: Did she, in conversation with Martin, confess that later years were happier?

Modifying Another Word

  • anew: VERSION II Or: 1. A.B. , will you confess anew your faith?
  • openly: He enumerates several instances of " hidden disciples " who dared not openly confess Christ.
  • humbly: What can I do for all my sins but humbly confess and lament them, and implore Your mercy without ceasing?
  • freely: Instead, the special military courts approved by President Dubya will give the terrorists the opportunity to freely confess their sins.
  • honestly: And I can honestly confess to you that I do not necessarily spend my time doing what I want to do.
  • publicly: Others, including pastors, followed, also publicly confessing their sins.

Used with why or when

  • when: Like most of our older readers, I have to confess when it comes to movies I'm a bit of a hoarder.
  • what: The whole school pretends to be attracted to Zack which drives him to confess what he did.

Infinitive complement

  • have: The man, Raul Ernesto Cruz Leon, confessed to have been working for an Cuban exile group in Miami.

Present participle complement

  • play: Pierce Brosnan has confessed playing James Bond always felt ' phony ' .

Preposition: in

  • order: He confided to a guard that he had confessed in order to escape the torture of prison.

Preposition: with

  • mouth: For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.
confess Quotes

A sensitive boy's humiliations may be very good fun for ordinary thick-skinned grown-ups; but to the boy himself theyareso acute, so ignominious, that he cannot confess themöcannot but deny them passionately.

—Shaw, George Bernard

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

—Bible (NewTestament)

I did say yes O at lightning and lashed rod; Thou heardst me truer than tongue confess Thy terror,O Christ,O God.

—Hopkins, SirAnthony

The wiser world doth greater thee confess Than all men else, than thy self only less.

—Carew,Thomas