different between confide vs confident

English

Etymology

From Latin conf?d? (“I trust fully, I am assured, confide, rely”), from con- (“together”) + f?d? (“I trust”); see faith, fidelity.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /k?n?fa?d/
• Rhymes: -a?d

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 1985, p. 269:

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

   • 1818, Mary Shelley, Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus, Everyman's Library 1973, p. 10:

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

   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.

Related terms

Translations

Further reading

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

Latin

Verb

c?nf?de

1. second-person singular present active imperative of c?nf?d?

English

Etymology

From Middle French confident, from Latin confidens (“confident, i.e. self-confident, in good or bad sense, bold, daring, audacious, impudent”), present participle of confidere (“to trust fully, confide”). See confide.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?k?n.f?.d?nt/, [?k???.f?.dn?t]
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?k?n.f?.d?nt/, [?k???.f?.dn?t]
• Hyphenation: con?fi?dent

Adjective

confident (comparative more confident, superlative most confident)

1. Very sure of something; positive.

2. Self-assured, self-reliant, sure of oneself.
3. (obsolete, in negative sense) Forward, impudent.
   • 1775, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, The Duenna, I.2:

     I was rated as the most confident ruffian, for daring to approach her room at that hour of night.

Synonyms

• (self-confident): self-assured

Antonyms

• (self-confident): insecure, self-destructive

Related terms

• confidant
• confidante
• confide
• confidence
• confidential
• overconfident
• self-confident

Translations

Noun

confident (plural confidents)

1. Obsolete form of confidant.
   • 1684, John Dryden, The History of the League (originally in French by Louis Maimbourg)

     He managed this consultation with exceeding secrecy, admitting only four or five of his confidents, on whom he most relied

   • a certain Lawyer , a great Confident of the Rebels

Further reading

• confident in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• confident in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /k??.fi.d??/

Noun

confident m (plural confidents, feminine confidente)

1. confidant

Related terms

• confidence

Further reading

• “confident” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Latin

Verb

c?nf?dent

1. third-person plural future active indicative of c?nf?d?

Romanian

Etymology

From French confident

Noun

confident m (plural confiden?i)

1. confidant

Declension