accost

verb ac·cost \ ə-ˈkȯst , -ˈkäst \

Definition of accost

transitive verb

: to approach and speak to (someone) often in a challenging or aggressive way

He was accosted by a stranger on the street.

See accost defined for English-language learners

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Examples of accost in a Sentence

He was accosted by three gang members on the subway.
She was so famous that people would accost her on the street and ask for an autograph.

Recent Examples of accost from the Web

Twice they were accosted by the curious predators, which attacked the boat's hull.

— leah silverman, Town & Country, "After 5 Months Lost At Sea, These Women Credit Their Dogs With Their Survival," 27 Oct. 2017
On the third night the truck appears, Ally accosts a person in a hazmat suit spraying her lawn.

— amy mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "In 'American Horror Story: Cult' Episode 3, Everyone's a Suspect," 20 Sep. 2017
Afterward, he and his climbing partner were accosted by locals and detained by police.

— CBS News, "Renowned climber reflected on "painful reality" before killing himself," 12 Oct. 2017
Presumably, though, innocent women accosted by mistake will testify.

— gail sheehy, Daily Intelligencer, "Wide Open City/Part 1: The New Breed," 8 Sep. 2017
Both Blair and McAdams shared similar stories with Vanity Fairabout being accosted by the director in his hotel room when they were called to read for a part in his 2001 film Harvard Man.

— anna silman, The Cut, "Rachel McAdams and Selma Blair Accuse Director James Toback of Sexual Harassment," 26 Oct. 2017
In 1949, while a professor at Princeton University, the 70-year old Einstein is accosted by an attractive younger woman — Margaret Harding (Candace Vance), who claims to be a journalist for a Jewish newspaper.

— misha berson, The Seattle Times, "Taproot’s formulaic “Relativity” questions genius over goodness," 26 Sep. 2017
No child should be walking down the hall or in a locker room and be accosted with a noose around their neck.

— Essence.com, "It Never Stopped: Here Are 5 Recent Cases Of Attempted Lynchings And Noose Intimidation," 15 Sep. 2017
The Daily Progress features frequent accounts of members being arrested for accosting alleged white supremacists in a restaurant, on a street, at a rally, even in a city council meeting.

— holman w. jenkins, WSJ, "The Extremist Show Is Just Starting," 18 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'accost.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of accost

borrowed from Middle French accoster, going back to Old French, "to go alongside of, sail along the coast of, place (a vessel) beside another" (sʼacoster a "to take a place beside, draw near, support"), probably going back to Vulgar Latin *accostāre, from Latin ad- ad- + costa "rib, side" — more at ¹coast

Note: A common, polysemous verb in Anglo-French, though the English verb, which only begins to appear in the late 16th century, is apparently borrowed directly from Continental French. The sense "to approach and speak to" only appears in French in the early 17th century, about the same time that it appears in English.

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First Known Use: 1567

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ACCOST Defined for English Language Learners

accost

verb

Definition of accost for English Language Learners

: to approach and speak to (someone) often in an angry, aggressive, or unwanted way

ACCOST Defined for Kids

accost

verb ac·cost \ ə-ˈkȯst \

Definition of accost for Students

accosted; accosting

: to approach and speak to angrily or aggressively

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Spanish Central: Translation of accost Nglish: Translation of accost for Spanish speakers

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accost

Definition of accost

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accost

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accost

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accost

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accost

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