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to confide

to confide

113 4.6
To tell someone a secret and trust them not to tell others
  • verb
  • /kənˈfaɪd/
translation icon : contar (un secreto) a
  • I confided in him, and that was obviously a mistake.
  • confide in a friend
  • confide in a school

But I'm one of the people he confided in and I understood.

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Examples

  • Well, did he confide in you regarding the book?

  • "Then she turned to me and confided, "He was up all night."

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Or did they confide they had a camera set up?

  • And what officers told me was people started to confide in them, would share information with them, would thank them.

  • You could talk to me and confide in me.

  • To someone like him, you could confide anything, and he would accept you.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Of central importance for the participants was having an opportunity to confide in someone about their home situation.

    Academic text (2008)
  • For example, young children may confide in and receive most of their emotional support from their parents.

    Academic text (1994)
  • " I'm ready for another one," she confided to Paxton when they went to the ladies' room.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Jaime felt he had finally found someone he could confide in about his years of abuse.

Synonyms

to share
vsto confide
711 1.0

To tell someone about your thoughts, feelings or experiences

privately tells with expectation the listener will not tell others
to divulge
vsto confide
45 6.2

To tell secret or private information to people

chooses to tell one person trusting them to keep it private
to have a quiet word
vsto confide
2 6.0

To speak to someone in private about something sensitive

trusts the listener to keep the matter secret rather than just speak privately

Antonyms

234 4.1

To tell people information that was secret

143 4.6

Tell someone's secret to other people

How Private

to confide
113 4.6
to pour out
  • Informal
33 3.9
to open up
  • Informal
149 2.9
to tell
1.0
mention
220 2.5

Surface Forms

confide infinitive
confided past
confided past participle
confiding present participle
confides third person singular

Etymology

The word confide comes from Latin parts con- 'with' and fidere 'to trust', the same root you see in fidelity and confident. So, to confide is to tell someone a secret because you trust them.