Accost is a verb with two distinctclearly different from one another meanings. It can mean to approach someone and speak to them directly, or to approach someone with a sexualrelating to sex or physical intimacy offer. The everyday meaning is the general act of approaching and addressingspeaking to a person directly someone.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-13. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /əˈkɔst/
Easy pronunciation: uh-KAWST (approximate spelling).
Stress: Stress the second syllable.
Primary sense: to approach and speak to someone directly.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-13. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Accost Meaning
to walk up to someone and start speaking to them
Part of speech: verb
Definition: to approach and speak to someone directly
Example: A reporter accosted the mayor outside the event and asked for a comment.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- address — Works when someone speaks to another person directly.
- come up to — A natural informal substitute for approaching and speaking to someone.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-13. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Accost
Meaning 2
to approach someone and offer sexual services
Part of speech: verb
Definition: to approach someone with an offer of sexual favors
Example: She was accosted by a stranger on the street.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- solicit — Works in the sexual-services sense.
- hook — Can fit this sense in some contexts, but is less direct and less common.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: inaccurate — correction needed. Checked: 2026-10-13. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Accost Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- address
- come up to
to approach someone with an offer of sexual favors
- solicit
- hook
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-13. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- Accost does not mean simply 'meet' or 'greet'; it implies an intrusive or direct approach.
- Do not use the sexual-services sense when the context is just talking to someone.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-13. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does accost mean?
Accost means to approach someone and speak to them directly, or to approach someone with an offer of sexual favors.
What are common synonyms for accost?
For the everyday sense, common synonyms include address and come up to. For the sexual-services sense, solicit is the best fit.
Is accost positive or negative?
It is often negative or intrusive, especially when someone is approached suddenly or unwelcome.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-13. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.