con ‧ fi ‧ dent S3 W3 /ˈkɒnfəd ə nt, ˈkɒnfɪd ə nt $ ˈkɑːn-/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ confidence , ↑ confidant , ↑ confidentiality ; adverb : ↑ confidently , ↑ confidentially ; adjective : ↑ confident , ↑ confidential ; verb : ↑ confide ]
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: present participle of confidere ; ⇨ ↑ confide ]
1 . [not before noun] sure that something will happen in the way that you want or expect
confident (that)
We are confident next year’s profits will be higher.
He is quietly confident that there will be no problems this time.
confident of
The Prime Minister appeared relaxed and confident of winning an overall majority.
The company is confident of success.
confident about
I feel quite confident about the future.
2 . sure that you have the ability to do things well or deal with situations successfully:
Despite her disability, Philippa is very confident.
confident about
I feel much more confident about myself and my abilities these days.
confident smile/voice/manner etc
He began to read in a calm confident voice.
3 . sure that something is true
confident (that)
We are confident we have done nothing wrong.
He began to feel confident that Zaborski was only guessing.
It is not possible to give a confident answer to the question of whether the delay was unreasonable.
—confidently adverb
⇨ ↑ self-confident
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ confident sure that you have the ability to do something well or deal with situations successfully:
She seemed confident that she would pass.
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his calm and confident manner
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George was very confident about his abilities as a writer.
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Baldwin is confident of victory in this year’s senate race.
▪ self-confident/self-assured confident, and not shy or nervous in social situations:
Jess was only 12, but she was very self-confident.
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He was very self-assured and spoke without notes.
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I eventually became more self-confident as a public speaker.
| supremely self-confident :
She was supremely self-confident, with the gift of being able to talk on any subject whenever the camera was rolling.
▪ self-possessed adjective confident, calm, and in control of your feelings even in a difficult situation
▪ assertive confident enough to say what you think and want, so that people take notice of you:
The course helps women learn how to be more assertive in the workplace.
▪ sure of yourself confident that you are right, even when other people do not agree with you:
He sounded so sure of himself that I didn’t bother to argue.
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Jenny was younger than her sister but seemed much more sure of herself.
▪ extrovert noun [countable] someone who behaves in a confident way in social situations and likes talking and being with other people:
Most actors are natural extroverts.
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Jan says her twin babies are completely different: Kelly is a real extrovert while Jessie is quiet and thoughtful.
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He’s a total extrovert who will talk to any stranger.
■ not confident
▪ lack confidence/be lacking in confidence to not be confident about your abilities or appearance:
Francine is lacking in confidence and needs a lot of encouragement.
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I was fat, had no friends, and lacked confidence.
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While girls lack confidence, boys often overestimate their abilities.
▪ shy not confident about meeting or speaking to people who you do not know:
Jane is a quiet shy person.
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He had been painfully shy (=very shy) as a child.
▪ insecure not confident about yourself or your relationships, especially because you are worried that you are not good enough:
His childhood had left him very insecure.
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Ben’s parents’ divorce left him lonely and insecure.
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Models can make young women feel insecure about their own bodies.
▪ unsure of yourself not confident, especially because you are young or you do not have much experience:
At first, Chris seemed nervous and unsure of herself.
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He was only 21 and still very unsure of himself with girls.
▪ discouraged /dɪsˈkʌrɪdʒd $ -ˈkɜːr-/ not confident that you can succeed, because you have had problems trying to do something:
Students can become discouraged very easily if they are not given the help they need.
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I was very discouraged at the time, but I still hoped we could find a solution.
| discouraged by :
Discouraged by her failed marriages, she gradually withdrew from the world.
| discouraged about :
Hartman was so discouraged about the way his performing career was going, that he gave up acting for writing.
▪ demoralized someone who is demoralized has lost all their confidence and wants to give up:
The team were completely demoralized after losing a series of games.
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a demoralized work force
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Many employees became demoralized and cynical when the company announced another round of job cuts.
| utterly/thoroughly demoralized