Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

accost

/əˈkɔst/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 1.96 in modern English

Syllables: ac-cost
IPA: /əˈkɔst/

10

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To approach and speak to boldly or aggressively, as with a demand or request.

Transitive verb

verb

To join side to side; to border.

Obsolete; Transitive verb

verb

To sail along the coast or side of.

Obsolete; Transitive verb

verb

To approach; to come up to.

Obsolete; Transitive verb

verb

To speak to first; to address; to greet.

Transitive verb

verb

To adjoin; to lie alongside.

Intransitive verb; Obsolete

verb

Transitive verb

verb

To solicit sexually.

Transitive verb

Example Sentences

"A beggar accosted me as soon as I stepped outside."
"You mistake, knight. ‘Accost’ is front / her, board her, woo her, assail her."
"Him, Satan thus accosts."
"She approached the basin, and bent over it as if to fill her pitcher; she again lifted it to her head. The personage on the well-brink now seemed to accost her; to make some request—"She hasted, let down her pitcher on her hand, and gave him to drink.""
"I quickly followed suit, and descending into the bar-room accosted the grinning landlord very pleasantly."
"For all the Shores, which to the Sea accost"

Etymology

From Middle French accoster, acoster, from Old French acoster (“to stand beside”) (whence Medieval Latin accostare), from Old French a- + coste (“side, flank”).

Origin

Source language: Middle French

Word Breakdown

Root: accoster, acoster, a-

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /əˈkɔst/
British English: /əˈkɒst/

Usage

Inflected Forms

accosts (present, singular) accosting (participle, present) accosted (participle, past) accosted (past) accosts (plural)

Derived Forms

accostable accostment

Synonyms

waylay hook solicit address come up to

Rhymes With

lost low-cost crossed frost exhaust tossed criss-crossed embossed aust glossed lacoste defrost

Questions

How do you pronounce accost?: The recorded pronunciation is /əˈkɔst/.
What does accost mean?: To approach and speak to boldly or aggressively, as with a demand or request.
Where does accost come from?: It is traced to Middle French.

How to pronounce accost

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “accost”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/əˈkɔst/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “accost”.
Repeat and practice — Say “accost” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.