confide

/kənˈfaɪd/ (bre, ipa) · /kənˈfaɪd/ (ame, ipa) · /kən-ˈfīd/ (ame, mw)

confide — verb

  • confidepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • confideshe / she / it
  • confidedpast simple
  • confiding-ing form

1. to share a secret, worry, or private feeling with a person you feel safe with, i

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

to share a secret, worry, or private feeling with a person you feel safe with, instead of keeping it to yourself

例句

Amelia finally confided her exam fears to her older sister.

confide + noun phrase + to + noun phrase

After dinner, Devika confided in her coach about the panic attacks.

confide in + noun phrase

同義詞
  • tell

    broader and more neutral; it does not always suggest trust or privacy

  • open up

    more conversational and focused on becoming emotionally ready to speak

  • unburden yourself

    emphasises relief from worry after speaking

反義詞
  • conceal

    to keep something hidden instead of sharing it

  • bottle up

    to keep strong feelings inside and not talk about them

文法句型

confide in + noun phrase

confide + noun phrase + to + noun phrase

用法筆記

Use 'in' when naming the trusted listener and 'to' when you also state the secret or worry. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is about telling private thoughts, not handing over responsibility.

常見錯誤

❌She confided me her secret.
✅She confided her secret to me.
💡Put the listener after 'to'; do not make the person the direct object.
❌He confided with his brother about the problem.
✅He confided in his brother about the problem.
💡Use 'in', not 'with', for the trusted listener.

2. to place a person, task, or valuable thing in another person's care because you

2.動詞及物C1
釋義

to place a person, task, or valuable thing in another person's care because you trust them to look after it properly

例句

The retiring owner confided the family bakery to Beatriz last spring.

confide + noun phrase + to + noun phrase

The embassy confided the rescued children to Amelia for the flight home.

同義詞
  • entrust

    the closest neutral synonym for giving something into another person's care

  • commit

    more formal and often used for tasks, cases, or decisions

  • leave

    more everyday and less focused on trust

反義詞
  • withhold

    to keep something back instead of handing it over

  • retain

    to keep control or possession yourself

文法句型

confide + noun phrase + to + noun phrase

be confided to + noun phrase

用法筆記

This sense is formal and less common than 'entrust'. It is most often used for people, duties, money, or important objects, and it frequently appears in the passive.

常見錯誤

❌The owner confided the bakery with his daughter.
✅The owner confided the bakery to his daughter.
💡This sense takes 'to' before the person receiving care.
❌The owner confided in his daughter the bakery.
✅The owner confided the bakery to his daughter.
💡'confide in' belongs to sense 1, not this entrusting pattern.