1. vt. & vi.承认，供认　 acknowledge; admit
2. vt.忏悔　 (of a priest) hear (a person) tell his sins in order to obtain forgiveness

　～ a crime　认罪
　～ one's faults　认错误
　～ the letter (to be) a forgery　承认这封信是伪造的
　～ one's love　坦陈爱慕之意
　～ one's mistakes　认错
　～ one's sins　忏悔罪过
　～ soon　很快承认
　～ candidly〔frankly, honestly〕　坦率地承认
　～ fearfully　害怕地承认
　～ hesitatingly　犹豫不决地承认
　～ openly　公开地承认
　～ readily　乐于承认
　～ sincerely　诚恳地承认
　～ sorrowfully　伤心地承认
　～ truthfully　如实地承认
　～ willingly　自愿地承认
　～ to　供认…
　～ to being astonished at sth　承认对某事大吃一惊
　～ to cheating on the exam　承认考试作弊
　～ to a crime　坦白罪行
　～ to doing sth bad　承认做了不好的事情
　～ to God　向上帝忏悔
　～ to the police　向警察供认
　～ to the priest　向牧师忏悔

　The criminal was caught red-handed, all he could do was to confess.　罪犯被当场捉住，他只能认罪。
　The criminal soon confessed.　罪犯很快就供认了。
　He confessed his guilt.　他认罪了。
　You will have to confess your error.　你必须承认你的错误。
　He has confessed his crime in court.　他已在法庭上坦白了罪行。
　She confessed hating the boss.　她承认痛恨这个老板。
　I confessed telling a lie.　我承认我说了谎。
　They confessed taking part in a plot to free the prisoner.　他们供认自己参与了企图营救那个囚犯的密谋。
　I confessed having met her.　我承认，我遇见过她。
　He confesses having done it.　他承认是他干的。
　Tom confessed that he'd eaten all the cakes.　汤姆承认他吃掉了所有的蛋糕。
　She confessed that she had broken the vase.　她承认花瓶是她打的。
　The girl confessed that she had committed the crime in complicity with her friend.　那女孩承认她和朋友一起犯了此罪。
　He confessed where he had hidden the money.　他供出了他藏钱的地方。
　The police have confessed themselves completely puzzled by this strange crime.　警方承认他们完全被这桩奇特的罪案搞糊涂了。

 ♣ confess to　(v.+prep.)
1. 〈宗〉向（牧师或上帝）忏悔 tell one's guilt to a (priest or God)
　He confessed to the priest before he died.　他临终前向神父忏悔。
　Many Christians regularly confess their guilty actions and thoughts to a priest.　很多基督徒都定期向牧师忏悔他们的罪行和恶念。
2. 承认，坦白（罪过等）；承认有（某种看法或意见） admit (sth such as guilt or an opinion)
　〔说明〕 confess to常用于一般时态。
　The prisoner confessed to his part in the crime.　这个囚犯承认了他在这场犯罪活动中的罪责。
　I have to confess to a hatred of modern music.　我不得不承认，我讨厌现代音乐。
　I confess to some suspicion of your honesty.　我承认对你的诚实有怀疑。
　Most people confess to a bad memory.　大多数人都承认自己的记忆力不好。
　She confessed to stealing the jewels.　她承认偷了宝石。
　He confessed to cheating on the exam.　他承认自己考试作弊。

 ♣ confess, acknowledge, admit, own
　参见own条。

　由confess引导的名词从句中的主语要与主句的主语在人称上一致。例如，在"I confessed that I told a lie."句中，决不可以把从句中的人称I改为he或she. 因为只能是“自己承认、坦白自己的缺点、过失等”，没法代替别人这么做。