Meanings
present singular third person accosts · participle present accosting · participle past accosted · past accosted
- transitiveTo approach and speak to boldly or aggressively, as with a demand or request.
A beggar accosted me as soon as I stepped outside.
- broadlyobsoletetransitiveTo sail along the coast or side of.
- obsoletetransitiveTo approach; to come up to.
You mistake, knight. ‘Accost’ is front / her, board her, woo her, assail her.
c. 1601–1602, William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, act 1, scene 3, lines 53–54 - transitiveTo speak to first; to address; to greet.
Him, Satan thus accosts.
1667, John Milton, “Book III”, in Paradise Lost, line 6532 more examples
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."
1847, Charlotte Bronte, chapter XVIII, in Jane EyreI quickly followed suit, and descending into the bar-room accosted the grinning landlord very pleasantly.
1851 November 14, Herman Melville, chapter 5, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC - intransitiveobsoleteTo adjoin; to lie alongside.
For all the Shores, which to the Sea accost
1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book V”, in The Faerie Queene, canto 2, stanza XLII1 more example
Lapland hath since been often surrounded (so much as accosts the sea) by the English.
1662, Thomas Fuller, “Derby-shire”, in History of the Worthies of England - transitiveTo assault.
Surveillance video of the incident shows the man and woman being accosted by a man armed with and assault-style handgun.
2017 June 21, Glenn E. Rice, “Police seek two gunmen who accosted Kansas City couple”, in The Kansas City Star1 more example
The Missouri prosecutors' case against Clemons, based partly on incriminating testimony given by his co-defendants, was that Clemons was part of a group of four youths who accosted the sisters on the Chain of Rocks Bridge one dark night in April 1991.
2012 August 21, Ed Pilkington, “Death penalty on trial: should Reggie Clemons live or die?”, in The Guardian - transitiveTo solicit sexually.
1 more example
Gladstone's initial tone of disinterested philanthropy also characterized his first encounters with prostitutes in London once he has moved there to undertake his parliamentary duties. Accosted in a London park in 1837 by two women, Gladstone merely reported of them that "both ... had taken to their miserable calling from losing their livelihood by the death of their husbands."
1997, Travis L. Crosby, The Two Mr. Gladstones
plural accosts
- rareAddress; greeting.
Anne liked to accost foreigners in their own tongue , but , being ignorant of Spanish , asked M. de Grignaux to teach her a sentence of polite accost in his own language, wherewith to welcome an ambassador from Spain.
1871, Henry Morley, Clement Marot2 more examples
A man does not seize a woman by the sleeve and ask, "Is it you?" without some reason for an address so destitute of ordinary courtesy; and Lucilla was sufficiently versed in such matters to know that so rude and startling an accost could be only addressed to some one whose presence set the speaker's heart beating, and quickened the blood in his veins.
1866, Margaret Oliphant, chapter XXIII, in Miss Marjoribanks (Chronicles of Carlingford)Great was my amazement to find the unconquerable Mr. Sim thaw immediately on the accost of this strange gentleman, who hailed him with a ready familiarity, proceeded at once to discuss with him the trade of droving and the prices of cattle, and did not disdain to take a pinch from the inevitable ram's horn.
1897, Robert Louis Stevenson, “The Drovers”, in St. Ives - An attack.
At last, when I was already within reach of her, I stopped. Words were denied me; if I advanced I could but clasp her to my heart in silence; and all that was sane in me, all that was still unconquered, revolted against the thought of such an accost.
1887, Robert Louis Stevenson, “Olalla”, in The Merry Men and Other Tales and Fables
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Old Frencha-
- Old Frenchacoster“to stand beside”
- Middle Frenchaccoster
- Englishaccost
From Middle French accoster, acoster, from Old French acoster (“to stand beside”) (whence Medieval Latin accostare), from Old French a- + coste (“side, flank”).
More words from Middle French, Old French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian акостирам, заговарям
- акостирам (akostiram)archaic or obsolete: to join side to side; to border
- заговарям (zagovarjam)to speak to first, to address, to greet
- обръщам се към (obrăštam se kăm)to speak to first, to address, to greet
Catalan abordar, adreçar-se
- abordarto approach and speak too boldly or aggressively, as with a demand or request
- adreçar-seto speak to first, to address, to greet
- insinuar-seto solicit sexually
Czech obtěžovat, dotírat
- obtěžovatto approach and speak too boldly or aggressively, as with a demand or request
- dotíratto approach and speak too boldly or aggressively, as with a demand or request
- dorážetto approach and speak too boldly or aggressively, as with a demand or request
- nabízet seto solicit sexually
Danish antaste, antaste
- antasteto approach and speak too boldly or aggressively, as with a demand or request
- antasteto assault
Dutch aanklampen
- aanklampento approach and speak too boldly or aggressively, as with a demand or request
Finnish tiukata, vaatia
- tiukatato approach and speak too boldly or aggressively, as with a demand or request
- vaatiato approach and speak too boldly or aggressively, as with a demand or request
- puhutellato speak to first, to address, to greet
- tervehtiäto speak to first, to address, to greet
French accoster, aborder
- accosterto approach and speak too boldly or aggressively, as with a demand or request
- aborderarchaic or obsolete: to sail along the coast or side of
- aborderarchaic or obsolete: to approach, come up to
German bedrängen
- bedrängento approach and speak too boldly or aggressively, as with a demand or request
Hungarian letámad, ráront
- letámadto approach and speak too boldly or aggressively, as with a demand or request
- rárontto approach and speak too boldly or aggressively, as with a demand or request
- odamegyarchaic or obsolete: to approach, come up to
- odaléparchaic or obsolete: to approach, come up to
- megszólítto speak to first, to address, to greet
- leszólítto speak to first, to address, to greet
- letámadto assault
- rátámadto assault
- megtámadto assault
- leszólítto solicit sexually
Italian affrontare, aggredire
- affrontareto approach and speak too boldly or aggressively, as with a demand or request
- aggredireto approach and speak too boldly or aggressively, as with a demand or request
- inveireto approach and speak too boldly or aggressively, as with a demand or request
- molestareto approach and speak too boldly or aggressively, as with a demand or request
- accostarearchaic or obsolete: to join side to side; to border
- salutareto speak to first, to address, to greet
Latin affor, affor
- afforto approach and speak too boldly or aggressively, as with a demand or request
- afforarchaic or obsolete: to join side to side; to border
- afforto speak to first, to address, to greet
Māori aropā
- aropāto speak to first, to address, to greet
Norwegian Bokmål antaste, angripe
- antasteto approach and speak too boldly or aggressively, as with a demand or request
- angripeto approach and speak too boldly or aggressively, as with a demand or request
- angripeto assault
Polish zaczepiać
- zaczepiaćto approach and speak too boldly or aggressively, as with a demand or request
Portuguese abordar, acostar
- abordarto approach and speak too boldly or aggressively, as with a demand or request
- acostararchaic or obsolete: to join side to side; to border
Russian обраща́ться, загова́ривать
- обраща́ться (obraščátʹsja)to approach and speak too boldly or aggressively, as with a demand or request
- загова́ривать (zagovárivatʹ)to approach and speak too boldly or aggressively, as with a demand or request
- приставать (pristavatʹ)to solicit sexually
Spanish embestir, acometer
- embestirto approach and speak too boldly or aggressively, as with a demand or request
- acometerto approach and speak too boldly or aggressively, as with a demand or request
Swedish tilltala
- tilltalato speak to first, to address, to greet
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with accost
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
accost. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/accost
“accost.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/accost. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “accost,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/accost.
Source: accost on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.