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3 PHRASE You use expressions like ' I confess ', ' I must confess ', or ' I have to confess ' to apologize slightly for admitting something you are ashamed of or that you think might offend or annoy someone. [POLITENESS ] □  I confess it's got me baffled. □  I must confess I'm not a great enthusiast for long political programmes.

con|fessed /kənfe st/ ADJ [ADJ n] You use confessed to describe someone who openly admits that they have a particular fault or have done something wrong. □  She is a confessed monarchist.

con|fes|sion /kənfe ʃ ^ə n/ (confessions )

1 N‑COUNT A confession is a signed statement by someone in which they admit that they have committed a particular crime. □  They forced him to sign a confession.

2 N‑VAR Confession is the act of admitting that you have done something that you are ashamed of or embarrassed about. □  The diaries are a mixture of confession and observation. □  I have a confession to make.

3 N‑VAR If you make a confession of your beliefs or feelings, you publicly tell people that this is what you believe or feel. □ [+ of ] …Tatyana's confession of love.

4 N‑VAR In the Catholic church and in some other churches, if you go to confession , you privately tell a priest about your sins and ask for forgiveness. □  He never went to Father Porter for confession again.

con|fes|sion|al /kənfe ʃən ^ə l/ (confessionals )

1 N‑COUNT A confessional is the small room in a church where Christians, especially Roman Catholics, go to confess their sins.

2 ADJ A confessional speech or writing contains confessions. □  The convictions rest solely on disputed witness and confessional statements.

con|fes|sor /kənfe sə ^r / (confessors )

1 N‑COUNT A confessor is a priest who hears a person's confession.

2 N‑COUNT If you describe someone as your confessor , you mean that they are the person you can talk to about your secrets or problems. □  He was their adviser, confidant and father confessor.

con|fet|ti /kənfe ti/ N‑UNCOUNT Confetti is small pieces of coloured paper that people throw over the bride and bridegroom at a wedding.

con|fi|dant /kɒ nf I dænt, -dæ nt/ (confidants ) N‑COUNT [usu with poss] Someone's confidant is a man who they are able to discuss their private problems with. □ [+ of ] …a close confidant of the president.

con|fi|dante /kɒ nf I dænt, -dæ nt/ (confidantes ) N‑COUNT [usu with poss] Someone's confidante is a woman who they are able to discuss their private problems with. □  You are her closest friend and confidante.

con|fide /kənfa I d/ (confides , confiding , confided ) VERB If you confide in someone, you tell them a secret. □ [V + in ] I knew she had some problems in her job because she had confided in me. □ [V + to ] He confided to me that he felt like he was being punished. □ [V that] On New Year's Eve he confided that he had suffered rather troubling chest pains. □ [V n + to ] I confided my worries to Michael. [Also V with quote]

con|fi|dence ◆◆◇ /kɒ nf I dəns/

1 N‑UNCOUNT If you have confidence in someone, you feel that you can trust them. □ [+ in ] I have every confidence in you. □ [+ in ] This has contributed to the lack of confidence in the police. □  His record on ceasefires inspires no confidence.

2 N‑UNCOUNT If you have confidence , you feel sure about your abilities, qualities, or ideas. □  The band is on excellent form and brimming with confidence. □  I always thought the worst of myself and had no confidence whatsoever.