Meanings
verbaccompany (third-person singular simple present accompanies, present participle accompanying, simple past and past participle accompanied)
present singular third person accompanies · participle present accompanying · participle past accompanied · past accompanied
- transitiveTo go with or attend as a companion or associate; to keep company with; to go along with.
Geoffrey accompanied the group on their pilgrimage.
3 more examples
The Persian dames, […] / In sumptuous cars, accompanied his march.
1804, Richard Glover, (Please provide the book title or journal name)They are never alone that are accompanied with noble thoughts.
1581, Philip Sidney, An Apology of Poetry, or a Defense of Poesy, Book IHe was accompanied by two carts filled with wounded rebels.
1979, Thomas Babington Macaulay, The History of England - transitiveTo supplement with; add to.
He was thinking; but the glory of the song, the swell from the great organ, the clustered lights, […], the height and vastness of this noble fane, its antiquity and its strength—all these things seemed to have their part as causes of the thrilling emotion that accompanied his thoughts.
1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter V, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC - intransitiveentertainmentTo perform an accompanying part or parts in a composition.
- transitiveentertainmentTo perform an accompanying part next to (another instrument or musician).
I will accompany her on the oboe.
2 more examples
The strings were accompanied by two woodwinds.
The Ukrainian folk-song is cultivated orally by the blind singers (Kobsari) who accompany themselves on string instruments.
1929, Abraham Zevi Idelsohn, Jewish Music: Its Historical Development, page 185 - intransitiveobsoleteTo associate in a company; to keep company.
Men say that they will drive away one another, […] and not accompanied together.
1601, C[aius] Plinius Secundus [i.e., Pliny the Elder], “(please specify |book=I to XXXVII)”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Historie of the World. Commonly Called, The Naturall Historie of C. Plinius Secundus. […], (please specify |tome=1 or 2), London: […] Adam Islip, →OCLC - intransitiveobsoleteTo cohabit (with).
- obsoletetransitiveTo cohabit with; to coexist with; occur with.
Gijb, Suche as accompanyeth with man-killers and murtherers.
1534, John Bourchier, 2nd Baron Berners, Golden Book of Marcus Aurelius - To be found at the same time.
Thunder almost always accompanies lightning during a rain storm.
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo go with or attend as a companion or associate; to keep company with; to go along with.
Similar
We attend those whom we wait uponfollow. The word conveys an idea of subordination.A gentleman accompanies a friend to some public placehe attendsescorts a ladyWe escort those whom we attend with a view to guard and protect
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂éd
- Proto-Italic*ad
- Proto-Italic*ad-
- Latinad-
- Old Frencha-
- Proto-Indo-European*ḱe?
- Proto-Indo-European*ḱóm
- Proto-Italic*kom
- Proto-Italic*kom-
- Latincon-
- Proto-Indo-European*peh₂-der.?
- Latinpānis
- Proto-West Germanic*gahlaibō
- Latincompāniō
- Old Frenchcompaing
- Old Frenchacompagner
- Middle Englishaccompanien
- Englishaccompany
* First attested in early 15th century. From Middle English accompanien, from Old French acompagner (“to associate with”), from compaing (“companion”), nominative singular of compaignon (“companion”). See company.
More words from Middle English, Old French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἀκολουθέω, ἀμορβέω
- ἀκολουθέω (akolouthéō)to attend as a companion
- ἀμορβέω (amorbéō)to attend as a companion
Arabic رَافَقَ, صَاحَبَ
- رَافَقَ (rāfaqa)to attend as a companion
- صَاحَبَ (ṣāḥaba)to perform an accompanying part or parts in a composition
- رَافَقَ (rāfaqa)to perform an accompanying part or parts in a composition
- رَافَقَ (rāfaqa)obsolete: to keep company
Bulgarian придружавам, съпровождам
- придружавам (pridružavam)to attend as a companion
- съпровождам (săprovoždam)to perform an accompanying part or parts in a composition
- съпровождам (săprovoždam)to perform an accompanying part next to another instrument
- придружавам (pridružavam)obsolete: to keep company
- съпровождам (săprovoždam)obsolete: to keep company
Catalan acompanyar
- acompanyarto perform an accompanying part or parts in a composition
Chinese Cantonese 陪
- 陪 (pui⁴)to attend as a companion
Chinese Mandarin 陪伴, 陪同
- 陪伴 (péibàn)to attend as a companion
- 陪同 (péitóng)to attend as a companion
- 伴奏 (bànzòu)to perform an accompanying part or parts in a composition
- 伴奏 (bànzòu)to perform an accompanying part next to another instrument
- 陪同 (péitóng)obsolete: to keep company
- 陪伴 (péibàn)obsolete: to keep company
- 陪 (péi)obsolete: to keep company
- 同居 (tóngjū)obsolete: to cohabit
- 跟……同居 (gēn... tóngjū)obsolete: to cohabit with
Czech doprovodit
- doprovoditto attend as a companion
Danish ledsage, gelejde
- ledsageobsolete: to keep company
- gelejdeobsolete: to keep company
Dutch vergezellen, begeleiden
- vergezellento attend as a companion
- begeleidento attend as a companion
- begeleidento perform an accompanying part or parts in a composition
- begeleidento perform an accompanying part next to another instrument
- zich samensluitenobsolete: to keep company
- samenwerkenobsolete: to keep company
- samenwonenobsolete: to cohabit
- samenwonen metobsolete: to cohabit with
- gepaard gaan metto be found at the same time
Esperanto akompani, akompani
- akompanito attend as a companion
- akompanito perform an accompanying part or parts in a composition
- akompanito perform an accompanying part next to another instrument
- kunestiobsolete: to keep company
Finnish olla seurana, olla jonkun kanssa
- olla seuranato attend as a companion
- olla jonkun kanssato attend as a companion
- olla jonkun seuralaisenato attend as a companion
- täydentääto supplement with
- säestääto perform an accompanying part or parts in a composition
- säestääto perform an accompanying part next to another instrument
- pitää seuraaobsolete: to keep company
- olla seuranaobsolete: to keep company
- asua yhdessäobsolete: to cohabit
- asua yhdessäobsolete: to cohabit with
French accompagner, accompagner
- accompagnerto attend as a companion
- accompagnerto perform an accompanying part or parts in a composition
German begleiten, begleiten
- begleitento attend as a companion
- begleitento perform an accompanying part or parts in a composition
- begleitento perform an accompanying part next to another instrument
- begleitenobsolete: to keep company
- geleitenobsolete: to keep company
Hindi साथ चलना
- साथ चलना (sāth calnā)to attend as a companion
Hungarian kísér, elkísér
- kísérto attend as a companion
- elkísérto attend as a companion
- vele megy/tartto attend as a companion
- kísérto perform an accompanying part or parts in a composition
- kísérto perform an accompanying part next to another instrument
- kísérto be found at the same time
- vele járto be found at the same time
Irish tionlaic, tionlaic
- tionlaicto attend as a companion
- tionlaicto perform an accompanying part or parts in a composition
- tionlaicto perform an accompanying part next to another instrument
Italian accompagnare, corredare
- accompagnareto attend as a companion
- corredareto supplement with
- accompagnareto perform an accompanying part or parts in a composition
- accompagnareto perform an accompanying part next to another instrument
- affiancareto perform an accompanying part next to another instrument
Japanese 付き合う, 付き添う
- 付き合う (tsukiau)to attend as a companion
- 付き添う (tsukisou)to attend as a companion
- 伴奏 (bannsou)to perform an accompanying part next to another instrument
- 連れ立つ (tsuretatsu)obsolete: to keep company
Korean 동행하다, 동반하다
- 동행하다 (donghaenghada)to attend as a companion
- 동반하다 (dongbanhada)to attend as a companion
Latin comitō
- comitōto attend as a companion
Latvian pavadīt
- pavadītto attend as a companion
Lithuanian lydėti
- lydėtito attend as a companion
Persian همراهی کردن, همنوازی کردن
- همراهی کردنto perform an accompanying part or parts in a composition
- همنوازی کردنto perform an accompanying part next to another instrument
Polish towarzyszyć, asystować
- towarzyszyćto attend as a companion
- asystowaćto attend as a companion
- akompaniowaćto perform an accompanying part next to another instrument
- zaakompaniowaćto perform an accompanying part next to another instrument
- basowaćto perform an accompanying part next to another instrument
- przygrywaćto perform an accompanying part next to another instrument
- wtórowaćto perform an accompanying part next to another instrument
- zawtórowaćto perform an accompanying part next to another instrument
- akompaniowaćobsolete: to keep company
- zaakompaniowaćobsolete: to keep company
Portuguese acompanhar, acompanhar
- acompanharto attend as a companion
- acompanharto perform an accompanying part or parts in a composition
- acompanharto perform an accompanying part next to another instrument
- fazer companhiaobsolete: to keep company
Romanian însoți, acompania
- însoțito attend as a companion
- acompaniato perform an accompanying part or parts in a composition
- însoțito perform an accompanying part or parts in a composition
- acompaniato perform an accompanying part next to another instrument
Russian сопу́тствовать, сопровожда́ть
- сопу́тствовать (sopútstvovatʹ)to attend as a companion
- сопровожда́ть (soprovoždátʹ)to attend as a companion
- сопроводи́ть (soprovodítʹ)to attend as a companion
- аккомпани́ровать (akkompanírovatʹ)to perform an accompanying part or parts in a composition
- аккомпани́ровать (akkompanírovatʹ)to perform an accompanying part next to another instrument
- обща́ться (obščátʹsja)obsolete: to keep company
- сожи́тельствовать (sožítelʹstvovatʹ)obsolete: to cohabit
- сопровожда́ть (soprovoždátʹ)to be found at the same time
- сопроводи́ть (soprovodítʹ)to be found at the same time
Spanish acompañar, acompañar
- acompañarto attend as a companion
- acompañarto perform an accompanying part or parts in a composition
- acompañarto perform an accompanying part next to another instrument
Swedish göra sällskap med, slå följe med
- göra sällskap medto attend as a companion
- slå följe medto attend as a companion
- ackompanjerato perform an accompanying part or parts in a composition
- ackompanjerato perform an accompanying part next to another instrument
Tagalog samahan, samahan
- samahanto attend as a companion
- samahanto perform an accompanying part or parts in a composition
Ukrainian супроводжувати, акомпанувати
- супроводжувати (suprovodžuvaty)to attend as a companion
- акомпанувати (akompanuvaty)to perform an accompanying part or parts in a composition
Urdu ساتھ چلنا
- ساتھ چلنا (sāth calnā)to attend as a companion
Yiddish מיטגיין
- מיטגיין (mitgeyn)to attend as a companion
Cite this entry
APA
accompany. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/accompany
MLA
“accompany.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/accompany. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “accompany,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/accompany.
Source: accompany on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.