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accost

verb ac·cost \ ə-ˈkȯst , -ˈkäst \
|Updated on: 12 Aug 2018

Definition of accost

accosted; accosting; accosts
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

See accost defined for kids

Examples of accost in a Sentence

  1. He was accosted by three gang members on the subway.

  2. She was so famous that people would accost her on the street and ask for an autograph.

Recent Examples of accost from the Web

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.

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

Learn More about accost

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

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