profess
Definitions
To claim or declare something openly, sometimes falsely.
公开宣称，声称（有时并非真心）
To affirm one's faith or belief in something.
表明（信仰、信念）
To take the vows of a religious order; to teach as a professor (archaic).
立修会誓愿；（古）任教授讲授
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedpro- (forward, before others, in public) + fess (speak, declare) = to say something openly, in front of people. Unlike confess (private, inward), profess faces outward: you proclaim a belief or a claim. Because the claim is public, it can also be hollow — hence 'profess to' often hints at insincerity.
Root fess still carries 23 more wordsWhy It Means This
Profess always means declaring in public, but it carries a faint warning: what is professed may not be sincere. 'He professed his innocence' leaves room for doubt in a way 'he was innocent' does not. The construction 'profess to + verb' especially flags a claim the speaker may be questioning. This skeptical edge comes from the word's history of public vows that people did not always keep.
Common Collocations
- 1.profess ignorance声称不知情
- 2.profess one's faith表明信仰
- 3.profess to + verb声称（做某事）
- 4.profess innocence声称无辜
Example Sentences
- 1.
He professed his undying loyalty to the company.
- 2.
She professes to know nothing about the missing money.
- 3.
They openly professed their religious beliefs.