Here are another couple of words that sound and look very much alike yet are very different in terms of meaning and use. Confidant and confident. Although these two words are only separated by a single letter in their spellings, they are miles apart in terms of definition and function.

What Does Confidant Mean

Confidant is a noun that’s defined as “a close friend or associate to whom secrets are confided or with whom private matters and problems are discussed.”

Some her colleague as her “work husband” because they are close confidants in the office.

Samuel describes his ideal marriage as one in which his partner is both his best friend and confidant.

Some synonyms for Confidant include advisor and companion.

What About Confidant(e) with an E at the End

The addition of the e may seem like a slight change, but it does alter this noun’s meaning. Confidante is defined as specifically a woman “to whom secrets are confided or with whom private matters and problems are discussed.”

David was not only her colleague, but also her life-long confidante, someone who was always there for her when she had problems that she couldn’t share with her own mom.

What Does Confident Mean

Confident is primarily used as an adjective meaning “having strong belief or full assurance; sure.” Someone who is confident is bold, completely self-confident, and sure of themselves. They also have “no uncertainty about one’s own abilities, correctness, successfulness.” However they can also be excessively bold or presumptuous.

He’s incredibly talented, and while he’s confident, he never projects arrogance.

How to Remember the Difference

Confident is the belief in something or someone, while confidant is someone that you can share secrets with, knowing that they won’t share them. You can be confident in your confidant.

Collocations Used with Confident

You seem very confident in your ability to win the prize.

I am absolutely confident that you will reach your goal by the end of the quarter.

3 Confidence Boosters

Everyone seems to get jitters when it comes to public speaking. Confidence ebbs and flows on unpredictable, quick-changing tides. Yet it possible to regain back confidence even in the midst of stressful situation, by using a few simple tools. Make them into a habit and you’ll embrace every challenge.

1. Strike a power pose. Before or during a stressful experience, if possible raise your arms above your head while lifting your chin and chest, as if to mimic the posture of leaders. When people win races they raise their arms above their heads. When we use our body its chemistry starts to change to our advantage. Try it, and see for yourself!
   
   
2. Just say stop! One of the negative results of losing our confidence is the internal negative dialogue we will have with ourselves. ’ Consider a tip from Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), just using an anchor word can be enough to stop you on your tracks. Say it loud and it’ll be even more powerful!
   
   
3. And breathe out. When we are nervous, fear makes our breathing shallow and fast making us ready to run away. By training yourself to breathe out on a longer count to your in-breath, you start to reverse this fight-or-flight response and thus calm yourself down.

Do you have tips for boosting your confidence in crucial moments? Why not share them in the Comment Section below?