Accost in a Sentence: Meaning, Examples & Practice

Accost means to approach someone and speak to them in a bold or unwelcome way. To use accost in a sentence, put the person accosted straight after the verb: “A stranger accosted her outside the station.” The verb is transitive, so it always needs a person who receives the approach.

Accost at a glance

• Accost is a transitive verb; its forms are accosts, accosted and accosting.
• The usual pattern is a person or group as subject and a person as object: reporters accosted the minister.
• The word carries a strong sense that the contact was bold, sudden or unwanted.
• Accost appears mostly in news reporting and literary writing, and only rarely in speech.
• The commonest error is leaving out the object, as in a man accosted near the gate.

What does accost mean?

Accost is a transitive verb meaning to approach a person and speak to them, especially in a bold, aggressive or unwelcome way. The Cambridge entry for accost records one idea with two shades: a deliberate approach that startles the other person, and a direct address that the other person did not invite.

One limitation is worth stating plainly. Accost is the wrong choice when the approach is welcome: to greet a visitor, approach or hail all describe contact that the other person accepts. Accost also does not mean to strike or attack; it names the approach and the speaking, not violence.

How do you use accost in a sentence?

The verb takes a person as its object and usually names the moment or place of contact. These five patterns cover nearly every real sentence, and the passive is common in news writing because the person accosted is the one worth naming.

Sentences sound natural when the place is named: in the corridor, near the gate, at the bus stop. Where the exchange becomes an argument rather than a mere approach, to confront a rival is the stronger verb.

Accost in a sentence: examples across contexts

Accost barely changes meaning across registers, but it changes force. The eight sentences below keep the same verb and move from a news desk to a novel, naming in each case who was approached and where.

Accost vs approach

Accost and to approach a stranger name the same movement, but only one of them tells the reader the contact was unwanted. Choosing between them is therefore a decision about tone, not about facts.

Verdict: use accost only when the approach is unwelcome, and switch to approach when you cannot show that it was. Where the approach turns hostile, to assail the witness suggests a verbal attack that accost alone does not.

Word forms and grammar of accost

Accost inflects like a regular verb, and every form keeps the same transitive pattern.

Do not add a preposition before the object: accost the guard, never accost to the guard. A passive sentence keeps by: the guard was accosted by a stranger.

Common mistakes with accost

• Incorrect: He accosted to the guard at the desk. Correct: He accosted the guard at the desk. Rule: Accost is transitive, so the object follows directly and takes no to.
• Incorrect: A guide accosted us and showed us the museum. Correct: A guide approached us and showed us the museum. Rule: Accost implies the welcome was not given, so a helpful meeting needs approach.
• Incorrect: She was accosted with a salesman. Correct: She was accosted by a salesman. Rule: The passive names the approacher with by, never with.
• Incorrect: The shop accosted every customer at the door. Correct: A sales assistant accosted every customer at the door. Rule: The subject is normally a person or group, not a business.
• Incorrect: He accosted that the road was closed. Correct: He accosted her about the closed road. Rule: Accost takes a person, not a that-clause; use about for the topic.

Practice using accost

Work through the six items, then read the answers for the reasoning, not only the key.

1. Fill the gap: A stranger ______ me on the platform and asked for the time.
2. Choose the better word: A friendly volunteer (accosted / approached) us and offered a map.
3. Correct the error: Reporters accosted to the minister as she left.
4. Build a sentence: use be accosted by about a cyclist stopped at a level crossing.
5. Spot the register: which belongs in a news report — a man accosted the mayor, or a man came right up to the mayor?
6. Rewrite in the passive: A tout accosted the tourists. Begin with The tourists.

Answers

1. accosted — the stranger is the subject and me is the object the verb needs.
2. approached — the volunteer was welcome, so accost would wrongly suggest intrusion.
3. Reporters accosted the minister as she left — accost takes no to before its object.
4. Model answer: The cyclist was accosted by a motorist at the level crossing.
5. A man accosted the mayor — a report keeps the single verb and avoids the vague phrase came right up to.
6. The tourists were accosted by a tout — the passive keeps the object as the new subject and names the approacher with by.

The bottom line

Use accost in a sentence when one person approaches another and speaks first in a bold or unwelcome way, and always give the verb a person as its object. The two details that decide most sentences are register and implication: accost belongs to news and literary writing, and it tells the reader that the contact was not welcome. If the meeting was friendly, to hail a passing friend or approach carries the meaning without the alarm.

Frequently asked questions about accost

Is accost a formal word?

Accost is not strictly formal, but it belongs to written narration and news reporting rather than everyday chat. A headline or a novel uses it freely, while a text message would more likely say a man came up to me and would not leave.

What is another word for accost?

Close alternatives are approach, confront and hail, but each shifts the tone. Approach is neutral, confront adds the idea of an argument, and hail suggests a friendly call. Accost is the only one of the four that always carries the sense that the contact was bold or unwanted.

Does accost always mean the approach was unwelcome?

In current use, yes. The word implies that the person who was approached did not invite the contact, which is why dictionaries pair it with bold or aggressive. A welcomed meeting is described with approach, greet or meet, never with accost.

Can accost be used in the passive voice?

Accost works in the passive, especially in news writing. The pattern is be accosted by plus the person who did it: the actor was accosted by two photographers. The passive puts the person who was approached first, which is usually the point of the sentence.

Have you ever found yourself unexpectedly approached or confronted by someone in a public space? This type of encounter is what we refer to as being “accosted.” When someone accosts you, they are initiating a conversation or interaction in a forceful or aggressive manner.

This can occur in various situations, such as on the street, at a store, or even online. Being accosted can leave you feeling uncomfortable, startled, or even threatened, depending on the person’s intentions. Let’s explore how to handle such encounters effectively and assertively.

7 Examples Of Accost Used In a Sentence For Kids

• Accost means to approach someone in a friendly way.
• When you accost someone, you greet them politely.
• It’s important to always be respectful when you accost someone.
• When you want to talk to someone, you can accost them politely.
• Remember to smile when you accost someone.
• You should always wait for the right moment to accost someone.
• It’s nice to accost someone with a smile and kind words.

14 Sentences with Accost Examples

1. Accost your classmates during breaks to form study groups for upcoming exams.
2. It is common for recruiters to accost students during campus placements.
3. Don’t be afraid to accost your professors if you have doubts about the lecture material.
4. College festivals are a great opportunity to accost new people and make friends.
5. You may be accosted by seniors during orientation week, but don’t worry, they are there to help you.
6. Accost the librarian if you need help finding a specific book for your research.
7. Make sure to accost the college administration if you have any concerns about campus facilities.
8. It’s not uncommon for guest speakers to accost students after their lectures for further discussions.
9. Accost your sports team members to plan practice sessions for upcoming tournaments.
10. Students often accost each other in the campus canteen to discuss assignments and projects.
11. Freshers may feel overwhelmed by how many students try to accost them for various college activities.
12. If you have a great idea, don’t hesitate to accost the student council to turn it into a reality.
13. Make sure to accost the career counselor for advice on internships and job opportunities.
14. Group projects are a good opportunity to accost your classmates and work together towards a common goal.

How To Use Accost in Sentences?

To use the word Accost in a sentence, it is important to understand its meaning and how it is typically used in conversation.

Accost means to approach and address someone boldly or aggressively. When incorporating Accost into a sentence, think about situations where someone is directly approaching or speaking to another person in a confrontational manner.

Here are a few examples of how you can use Accost in a sentence:

1. “As I was walking down the street, a stranger suddenly accosted me and demanded money.”
2. “The salesperson accosted every customer who walked into the store, trying to make a sale.”
3. “Feeling uncomfortable, she turned around and walked away when a man tried to accost her on the subway platform.”

Remember, when using the word Accost, consider the context of the situation and how the word conveys a sense of direct confrontation or aggression. By practicing using Accost in different scenarios, you can become more comfortable incorporating it into your vocabulary and understanding its nuances.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the examples of sentences with “accost” demonstrate its usage in different contexts. From a street vendor accosting passersby to a stranger accosting someone for a cigarette, the word is commonly used to describe an aggressive or confrontational interaction. It is clear that “accost” typically implies an unwelcome or forceful approach in various scenarios, often involving verbal or physical confrontation.

Overall, “accost” serves as a powerful word that instantly conveys the notion of being approached or confronted in a persistent or alarming manner. By understanding its meaning and usage through these examples, one can better grasp the impact of such encounters and the negative connotations associated with being accosted.