18 English collocations with ‘confidence’
There’s a particular kind of frustration I hear from English learners all the time. You’re speaking clearly. Your grammar is fine. People understand you. And yet you still have that feeling that your English is slightly… not quite you.
Often, that comes down to collocations.
Collocations are the word partnerships native speakers use automatically. Not because they’re ‘more correct’, but because they’re what sounds natural in real life. When you learn them, you stop translating in your head and start reaching for the language in a more instinctive way.
So today, I’m sharing 18 useful collocations and phrases with confidence, with simple meanings and example sentences you can borrow for your own life.
What is a collocation, in plain English?
A collocation is just a combination of words that tend to go together.
We say:
build confidence
lose confidence
a vote of confidence
We don’t usually invent a new combination, even if it seems logical. Native speakers have favourites, and collocations are part of how we recognise natural, fluent English.
Right, let’s get into it.
1) Build confidence
Meaning: Develop confidence gradually over time (often through practice and experience).
Example: I’m building confidence every time I speak up in meetings.
2) Boost confidence
Meaning: Increase confidence quickly, often with support, preparation, or a positive result.
Example: That compliment really boosted my confidence.
3) Grow in confidence
Meaning: Become steadily more confident over a period of time.
Example: She’s really grown in confidence since taking on her new role.
4) Lack confidence
Meaning: Not have enough confidence (in general, or in a specific situation).
Example: She lacks confidence when she has to speak on the spot.
5) Regain confidence
Meaning: Get your confidence back after losing it.
Example: It took time, but gradually I began to regain my confidence.
6) It doesn’t exactly inspire confidence
Meaning: A mildly critical and dry way to say something makes you doubt a person, plan, or situation, rather than feel reassured.
Example: They still haven’t agreed on a budget, which doesn’t exactly inspire confidence!
7) Instil confidence in
Meaning: Put confidence into someone over time through encouragement and support.
Example: A good teacher can instil confidence in their students.
8) Undermine confidence
Meaning: Gradually weaken someone’s confidence, often through repeated doubt or criticism.
Example: Constant criticism can undermine your confidence.
9) Lose confidence
Meaning: Stop feeling confident, often because of a setback, criticism, or a bad experience.
Example: After that mistake, I started to lose confidence.
10) Shake someone’s confidence
Meaning: Make someone feel less confident, usually suddenly.
Example: One harsh comment can shake your confidence.
11) A vote of confidence
Meaning: An action or statement that shows support, trust, or approval.
Example: Getting the promotion felt like a vote of confidence from management.
12) Confidence in yourself
Meaning: Belief in your own ability, judgement, or worth (especially in a specific situation).
Example: You need a bit more confidence in yourself when you speak in meetings.
13) Quiet confidence
Meaning: Confidence that is calm and not showy, you don’t need to boast.
Example: She has a quiet confidence that makes people listen.
14) Newfound confidence
Meaning: Confidence that is new and recently developed.
Example: With newfound confidence, she spoke up in the meeting.
15) Misplaced confidence
Meaning: Trust that turns out to be wrong or not deserved because you believed in the wrong person or thing.
Example: I put my trust in him, but it was misplaced confidence.
16) Full confidence
Meaning: Complete trust or certainty about someone or something.
Example: I have full confidence in your ability to handle this.
17) Inner confidence
Meaning: A quiet, personal sense of confidence that comes from within, not from approval or attention.
Example: With age, she’s developed a real inner confidence.
18) Ooze confidence
Meaning: To show a lot of confidence in a very obvious way (through your voice, body language, attitude).
Example: She walked into the room and just oozed confidence.
Confidence isn’t one simple thing. It grows. It dips. It can be quiet. It can be shaken. You can regain it. You can have full confidence in someone, and then realise it was misplaced.
These collocations help you talk about confidence in a more precise, natural way, which is exactly what adult English learners often want. Not ‘perfect English’, but English that feels like you.