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   con·fess

   /kənˈfes/

   verb

   • 1. admit or state that one has committed a crime or is at fault in some way: "he confessed that he had attacked the old man" Similar admitacknowledgerevealmake knowndisclosedivulgemake publicavowdeclareblurt outprofessown up totell all aboutbring into the openbring to lightinformal:blow the lid offarchaic:discoverown upadmit guiltplead guiltyaccept blame/responsibilitybe completely honesttell the truthtell allmake a clean breast of itunbosom oneselfinformal:come cleanfess upspill the beanslet the cat out of the bagget something off one's chestlet oncoughOpposite concealdeny
   • ▪ admit or acknowledge something reluctantly, typically because one feels slightly ashamed or embarrassed: "I must confess that I was slightly surprised" Similar acknowledgeadmitconcedegrantallowownsaydeclareaffirmacceptrecognizebe aware of/thatrealizebe conscious of/that
   • ▪ declare (one's religious faith): "150 people confessed faith in Christ"
   • ▪ declare one's sins formally to a priest: "I could not confess all my sins to the priest"
   • ▪ (of a priest) hear the confession of (someone): "St. Ambrose would weep bitter tears when confessing a sinner"

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

   Scrabble Points: 12

   • C

     3

   • O

     1

   • N

     1

   • F

     4

   • E

     1

   • S

     1

   • S

     1

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