confess
gb/kənfˈɛs/ us/kənfˈɛs/
B1
Inglés
~ 2200
Acepciones
0 acepciones
Verbo
B1
action
1
Admit to wrongdoing or crime
To say that you did something bad or against the law.
Patrón de uso:
to confess [something] to [someone]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes confuse 'confess' with 'admit', not realizing 'confess' usually involves guilt or wrongdoing.
Sinónimos
admit (More general; can be used for both good and bad things, not only wrongdoing.)
|
own up (Informal; similar meaning but more casual.)
Antónimos
deny (To say something is not true, especially when accused of wrongdoing.)
Colocaciones
confess a crime
|confess to the police
|confess to murder
|confess under pressure
Temas
law
|emotions
|relationships
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- He finally confessed to stealing the money.
- The suspect confessed his involvement in the robbery.
- Under questioning, she confessed to lying about her alibi.
- After hours of interrogation, the prisoner confessed everything.
- She confessed her role in the scheme to the authorities.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- He confessed to the police.
- She confessed that she took the bag.
- The man confessed his crime.
- They confessed to breaking the window.
Verbo
B2
action
2
Admit personal feelings or thoughts
To tell someone about a feeling you have, even if it is private.
Patrón de uso:
to confess [feeling/thought] to [someone]
Error frecuente:
Learners may overuse 'confess' for neutral statements; it usually implies vulnerability or privacy.
Sinónimos
reveal (More general; can refer to any kind of information.)
|
disclose (More formal; often used for sensitive information.)
Antónimos
conceal (To keep something secret or hidden.)
Colocaciones
confess love
|confess feelings
|confess a secret
Temas
relationships
|emotions
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- He confessed his love for her after years of friendship.
- I must confess I was nervous before the interview.
- She confessed that she had always wanted to travel alone.
- He finally confessed his true feelings about the project.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- I confessed my love to her.
- She confessed that she was afraid.
- He confessed his dream to be a singer.
Verbo
formal
B2
action
3
Admit sins in religion
To tell a priest about your sins so you can be forgiven.
Patrón de uso:
to confess [sins] to [priest/God]
Sinónimos
absolve oneself (Less common; refers to seeking forgiveness, not the act of telling.)
Antónimos
hide sins (To avoid admitting sins in a religious context.)
Colocaciones
confess sins
|confess to a priest
|confess before God
Temas
religion
|communication
Ejemplos
- Catholics are encouraged to confess their sins regularly.
- He confessed to the priest during Mass.
- She went to church to confess before Easter.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- I confessed my sins to the priest.
- He went to church to confess.
- She confessed before God.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
confess
AFI
GB/kənfˈɛs/
US/kənfˈɛs/
Sílabas y acento
con - fess (2 sílabas)
Stress on 2nd syllable (fess)
Formas de la palabra
Verb
- Base: confess
- 3rd Person Singular: confesses
- Present Participle: confessing
- Past: confessed
Familia de palabras
Forms
confesses
verb
confessing
verb
confessed
verb
Core family
confession
noun B1
Related words
confessional
adjective
confessor
noun
Negative and opposite forms
deny
verb B1
Expresiones
confess one's love
1/kənfˈɛs wˈʌnz lˈʌv/
fixed phrase
Tell someone you love them
To tell someone that you love them.
Ejemplos
- He finally confessed his love for her after months of hesitation.
- She decided it was time to confess her love.
confess to something
1/kənfˈɛs tə sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
Admit doing something specific
To say that you did a certain thing, often something wrong.
Ejemplos
- The suspect confessed to the crime during questioning.
- She confessed to cheating on the test.
I must confess
1/ˈaɪ mˈʌst kənfˈɛs/
fixed phrase
Admit before making a statement
Used before saying something personal or embarrassing.
Ejemplos
- I must confess, I don't really like chocolate.
- I must confess I haven't read that book.