confide
kuhn-FYD
/kənˈfaɪd/
Tell someone about a secret or private matter while trusting them not to repeat it to others.
Requires a high degree of trust; involves sharing sensitive, private, or vulnerable information.
The story behind the word. From the Latin 'confidere', where 'con-' acts as an intensive prefix ('with' or 'together') and 'fidere' means 'to trust'. To confide is to trust someone completely with your truth.
Word relationships
- entrust: Entrust can refer to giving someone a physical task or object, whereas confide specifically refers to sharing private thoughts or secrets.
- withhold: Withhold means to refuse to give or share information, keeping it secret.
Commonly confused with
- conspire: Conspire means to make secret plans jointly to commit an unlawful act, while confide is simply sharing secrets in trust.
Word family
- confidence (noun): The state of feeling certain about something; a secret told in trust.
- confidant (noun): A person with whom one shares a secret.
- confidential (adjective): Intended to be kept secret.
Collocations
- confide in
- confide secrets
- confide fears
- confide a worry
Example sentences
- "She knew she could confide in her sister, who had never broken a promise in her life." A story of sibling trust
Memory hook
To 'confide' is to share with 'confidence' that your secret is safe. Trust with confidence
When not to use
Do not use for casual, public, or trivial sharing of information.
Fun facts
- The word 'fiancé' (a person engaged to be married) shares the same Latin root 'fidere', representing a vow of trust.
Related words
Also appears in
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