Word
confess
Phoneticscon·fess, stress on the second syllable
US/kənˈfɛs/
UK/kənfˈɛs/
Definitions
01to admit a crime or mistake
B2 · Upper Intermediate Law
v. to admit that you have done something wrong or illegal.
v. to admit to a crime, fault, or error, often under pressure or as a matter of conscience.
日本語:白状する※
Español:confesar
“After hours of questioning, the suspect finally confessed to the robbery.”
“The defendant eventually confessed to the fraud, providing the authorities with a detailed account of how the funds were diverted.”
Usage
Often used with the preposition 'to' followed by a noun or gerund.
Pitfall
He confessed that he stole the money.
He confessed to stealing the money.
While 'confess that' is possible, 'confess to' followed by a gerund (-ing) is the most common and natural pattern for admitting an action.
02to admit a secret or feeling
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to tell someone a secret or a private feeling that you have been hiding.
v. to disclose private thoughts, feelings, or secrets that were previously withheld.
日本語:告白する※
“I have to confess that I haven't actually read the book yet.”
“She finally confessed her admiration for his work, admitting she had followed his career since his very first exhibition.”
03religious confession
B2 · Upper Intermediate Religion Formal
v. to tell a priest about the bad things you have done so that God can forgive you.
v. to acknowledge one's sins to God or a priest in order to receive absolution.
日本語:告白する※
“He went to the church every Saturday to confess his sins.”
“The penitent knelt in the small wooden booth to confess his transgressions and seek spiritual guidance from the priest.”
Usage
Can be used reflexively, as in 'to confess oneself'.
Synonyms
04to hear a confession
C1 · Advanced Religion Formal · Technical
v. when a priest listens to someone telling their sins.
v. to hear or receive a confession of sins in a formal religious capacity.
“The priest spent the entire afternoon confessing people in the village.”
“During the holy week, the bishop stayed late into the evening to confess the many pilgrims who had travelled to the cathedral.”
Usage
In this sense, the priest is the subject and the sinner is the object.
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “confess” in context.
Verb
01. confess and apologize
“It is better to confess and apologize now than to let the secret ruin your friendship.”
verb + and + verb
02. confess that he lied
“He eventually confessed that he had lied about his whereabouts on the night of the robbery.”
verb + that-clause
03. confess to a crime
“After hours of questioning, the suspect finally confessed to the crime.”
verb + prep + noun
04. confess your sins
“The man went to the church to confess his sins to the priest.”
verb + possessive + noun
Noun
05. refusal to confess
“His stubborn refusal to confess made the investigation much more difficult for the police.”
noun + infinitive
Adverb
06. openly confess
“She openly confessed her admiration for his dedication to the project.”
adv + verb
07. readily confess
“I must readily confess that I don't know much about modern art.”
adv + verb
Real-World Examples
“Two teachers were killed in a violent attack on a secondary school in Malmo in 2022 - an 18-year-old student later confessed to the attack.” “Muehl confessed to kicking the sea lion four times.” Etymology
From Middle English confessen, from Anglo-Norman confesser, from Old French confesser, from Latin confessus (Old French confés), past participle of cōnfiteor (“I confess, I admit”) from con- + fateor (“to admit”). Displaced Middle English andetten (“to confess, admit”) (from Old English andettan). Doublet of confiteor. Sense 6 is a calque of 告白 (kokuhaku).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/confess
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0