confide

English

Etymology

From Middle Scots confide, confyde (“to put trust in”), from Latin confīdere (“to put trust in, have confidence in”), from con- (“together”) + fidēre (“to trust”). First attested in English use in the early 17th century. Doublet of faith and fidelity.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kənˈfaɪd/

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• Rhymes: -aɪd

Verb

confide (third-person singular simple present confides, present participle confiding, simple past and past participle confided)

1. (intransitive, now rare) To trust, have faith (in).
   • 1796, Matthew Lewis, The Monk, Folio Society, published 1985, page 269:

     "Be calm, lovely Antonia!" he replied; "no danger in near you: confide in my protection."

   • 1818, [Mary Shelley], chapter II, in Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. , volume I, London: for Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, & Jones, →OCLC, page 16:

     I shall do nothing rashly: you know me sufficiently to confide in my prudence and consideration whenever the safety of others is committed to my care.

   • 1807, Lord Byron, The Prayer of Nature:

     In thy protection I confide.

2. (transitive, dated) To entrust (something) to the responsibility of someone.

   I confide this mission to you alone.

3. (intransitive, with in) To take (someone) into one's confidence, to speak in secret with.

   I could no longer keep this secret alone; I decided to confide in my brother.

4. (transitive, intransitive) To say (something) in confidence.

   After several drinks, I confided my problems to the barman.

   She confided that her marriage had been in trouble for some time.

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

References

Further reading

• “confide”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “confide”, in The Century Dictionary , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Latin

Verb

cōnfīde

1. second-person singular present active imperative of cōnfīdō