con·fess

verb

/kənˈfes/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they confess	/kənˈfes/ /kənˈfes/
he / she / it confesses	/kənˈfesɪz/ /kənˈfesɪz/
past simple confessed	/kənˈfest/ /kənˈfest/
past participle confessed	/kənˈfest/ /kənˈfest/
-ing form confessing	/kənˈfesɪŋ/ /kənˈfesɪŋ/

[intransitive, transitive] to admit, especially formally or to the police, that you have done something wrong or illegal供认，坦白，承认（错误或罪行）
- After hours of questioning, the suspect confessed.经过数小时的审问，嫌疑犯终于招供。
- confess to (doing) something She confessed to the murder.她供认犯了谋杀罪。
- confess (that)… He confessed that he had stolen the money.他承认他偷了那笔钱。
- confess to somebody (that)… She confessed to me that she had known his true identity for some time.她向我承认她知道他的真实身分已有一段时间了。
- confess your crime, error, etc. We persuaded her to confess her crime.我们说服她坦白她的罪行。
Topics Crime and punishmentb2
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- freely
- openly
- publicly
- …
verb + confess
- have to
- must
preposition
- to
[intransitive, transitive] to admit something that you feel ashamed or embarrassed about承认（自己感到羞愧或尴尬的事）
- confess something She was reluctant to confess her ignorance.她不愿承认她的无知。
- confess to (doing) something I must confess to knowing nothing about golf.我得承认自己对高尔夫球一窍不通。
- confess (that)… I confess (that) I know nothing about golf.我承认我对高尔夫球一窍不通。
- + speech ‘I know nothing about it,’ he confessed.“我对其一无所知。”他承认道。
confess yourself + adj.
- (formal) I confess myself bewildered by their explanation.我承认他们的解释使我感到困惑。
see also self-confessed
Synonyms admit
admitacknowledge ▪ recognize ▪ concede ▪ confessThese words all mean to agree, often unwillingly, that something is true.
admit to agree, often unwillingly, that something is true:
It was a stupid thing to do, I admit.我承认，那次干的是件蠢事。
acknowledge (rather formal) to accept that something exists, is true or has happened:
She refuses to acknowledge the need for reform.她拒不承认改革的必要性。
recognize to admit or be aware that something exists or is true:
They recognized the need to take the problem seriously.他们承认需要严肃对待这个问题。
concede (rather formal) to admit, often unwillingly, that something is true or logical:
He was forced to concede (that) there might be difficulties.他被迫承认可能会有困难。
admit or concede?When somebody admits something, they are usually agreeing that something that is generally considered bad or wrong is true or has happened, especially when it relates to their own actions. When somebody concedes something, they are usually accepting, unwillingly, that a particular fact or statement is true or logical.
confess (rather formal) to admit something that you feel ashamed or embarrassed about; to admit, especially formally or to the police, that you have done something wrong or illegal:
She was reluctant to confess her ignorance.她不愿承认她的无知。
He confessed to the murder.他对谋杀罪行供认不讳。
Patterns
- to admit/acknowledge/recognize/concede/confess that…
- to admit/confess to something
- to admit/concede/confess something to somebody
- to admit/acknowledge/recognize the truth
- to admit/confess your mistakes/ignorance
Extra Examples
- I must confess that I didn't have much faith in her ideas.我必须承认对她的想法我没有什么信心。
- I must confess to knowing nothing about computers.我必须承认我对计算机一无所知。
Topics Feelingsb2
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- freely
- openly
- publicly
- …
verb + confess
- have to
- must
preposition
- to
[intransitive, transitive] confess (something) (to somebody) (especially in the Roman Catholic Church) to tell God or a priest about the bad things you have done so that you can say that you are sorry and be forgiven忏悔；悔过；告罪；告解
- They had confessed their sins and done their penance.他们已经告罪并作了补赎。
[transitive] confess somebody (of a priest) to hear somebody confess their sins (= the bad things they have done)聆听（某人的）忏悔（或告罪、告解）

Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French confesser, from Latin confessus, past participle of confiteri ‘acknowledge’, from con- (expressing intensive force) + fateri ‘declare, avow’.