confide

verb

kən-ˈfīd How to pronounce confide (audio)
Definition of confidenext
as in to hand
to put (something) into the possession or safekeeping of another the local SPCA was looking for homes for a number of exotic animals confided to its care

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word confide distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of confide are commit, consign, entrust, and relegate. While all these words mean "to assign to a person or place for a definite purpose," confide implies entrusting with great assurance or reliance.

confided complete control of my affairs to my attorney

When is commit a more appropriate choice than confide?

While in some cases nearly identical to confide, commit may express the general idea of delivering into another's charge or the special sense of transferring to a superior power or to a special place of custody.

committed the felon to prison

When could consign be used to replace confide?

While the synonyms consign and confide are close in meaning, consign suggests removing from one's control with formality or finality.

consigned the damaging notes to the fire

Where would entrust be a reasonable alternative to confide?

In some situations, the words entrust and confide are roughly equivalent. However, entrust implies committing with trust and confidence.

the president is entrusted with broad powers

When would relegate be a good substitute for confide?

The words relegate and confide are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, relegate implies a consigning to a particular class or sphere often with a suggestion of getting rid of.

relegated to an obscure position in the company

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of confide One of the people in whom Palmer confided about her marital issues at the time was Caroline, a potter who, along with her builder husband, Phillip, had been living on the Woodstock property and working as a caretaker. —Lila Shapiro, Vulture, 13 Jan. 2025 Celebrity esthetician Joanna Czech has confided her fandom to Vogue. —Kiana Murden, Vogue, 20 Jan. 2025 While there, Harper overhears crucial news in the bathroom, where Sweet Pea is confiding to Yasmin that her web of new grad connections throughout the bank has led her to believe that Pierpoint has taken an outsized bet on ESG funds. —Nina Li Coomes, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2024 Earlier in 2024, a teenager in Florida was an avid user of roleplaying chatbots and confided thoughts of self-harm to the AI before his suicide, according to reporting from The New York Times. —Reece Rogers, WIRED, 11 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for confide
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confide
  1. leave
  2. give
  3. transfer
  4. trust
  5. entrust
  6. delegate
  7. recommend
  8. relinquish
Verb
  • The department did not say how much money is left of the total $189 billion approved.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2025
  • With few options left, Adam begins considering and concocting ways to enact vengeance, but Basem, having been down that rageful path, advises him otherwise.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 11 Apr. 2025
Definition of leave
Verb
  • Despite that, a growing number of companies do so voluntarily because the information gives them a leg up in the business world.
    — Elizabeth Weise, USA Today, 22 Apr. 2025
  • This is the Court that just last year gave us Trump v. United States, with its inflated concept of Presidential authority and extensive grant of Presidential immunity from criminal prosecution.
    — Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2025
Definition of give
Verb
  • Revell said the suspect will need a significant amount of time to recover from his injuries after which he'll be transferred to a detention facility.
    — Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025
  • According to Nature, the findings offer the first evidence for squirrels transferring the virus to primates.
    — Lillian Ali, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Apr. 2025
Definition of transfer
Verb
  • But this situation could demand that Amorim trusts talented youngsters who are yet to play even one senior minute.
    — Mark Critchley, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2025
  • Coogler trusts his audience, letting the emotional stakes of his movie unfurl slowly.
    — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 18 Apr. 2025
Definition of trust
Verb
  • Why should the state be held to a lesser standard than private institutions or organizations, especially when some of the state’s most vulnerable children were entrusted to the state’s care for guidance, treatment and rehabilitation?
    — Diana Philip, Baltimore Sun, 19 Apr. 2025
  • Police released a photo of this caiman pictured in a makeshift tank, and entrusted the animal to the RSPCA, Britain’s largest animal welfare charity.
    — Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 18 Apr. 2025
Definition of entrust
Verb
  • Francis delegated to two cardinals his role in presiding over Easter masses.
    — Phoebe Natanson, ABC News, 17 Apr. 2025
  • If a task can be reduced to rules and data flows, it can be delegated to an agent.
    — Kolawole Samuel Adebayo, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
Definition of delegate
Verb
  • Harris created for women accounts on websites commonly used for prostitution and recommended prices to be charged and time allotments.
    — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Apr. 2025
  • The company said the U.K. recommended retail price is £429.99, a rise from the previous price of £389.99.
    — Arjun Kharpal, CNBC, 14 Apr. 2025
Definition of recommend
Verb
  • The New York congresswoman had relinquished her No. 4 leadership slot as House Republican Conference Chair since she had been named Trump’s UN pick, and Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) was elected in her place.
    — Emily Brooks, The Hill, 9 Apr. 2025
  • So Paul relinquished the same number of sacks and just one less pressure in 272 fewer pass blocking snaps than Armstead played.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 7 Apr. 2025
Definition of relinquish

Browse Nearby Words

confidants
confide
confided
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Confide.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confide. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.

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