ACCOST

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does accost mean? 

• ACCOST (verb)
  The verb ACCOST has 2 senses:

1. speak to someone

2. approach with an offer of sexual favors

  Familiarity information: ACCOST used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ACCOST (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they accost    ... he / she / it accosts   
Past simple: accosted   
Past participle: accosted   
-ing form: accosting   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Speak to someone

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

accost; address; come up to

Hypernyms (to "accost" is one way to...):

come; come up (move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "accost"):

greet; recognise; recognize (express greetings upon meeting someone)

approach (make advances to someone, usually with a proposal or suggestion)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 2

Meaning:

Approach with an offer of sexual favors

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

accost; hook; solicit

Context example:

The young man was caught soliciting in the park

Hypernyms (to "accost" is one way to...):

offer (make available or accessible, provide or furnish)

Verb group:

hook; snare (entice and trap)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s somebody

 Context examples 

When we accosted him, his manner was something more confused, and something less genteel, than of yore.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

I had meant to be gay and careless, but the powerlessness of the strong man touched my heart to the quick: still I accosted him with what vivacity I could.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

They saw him slouch for'ard after breakfast, and, like a mendicant, with outstretched palm, accost a sailor.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

When they had come within speech (which was just under the maid’s eyes) the older man bowed and accosted the other with a very pretty manner of politeness.

(The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

Acting upon the impulse of the moment, I rushed out and accosted him.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

There was instant pleasure in the sight of them, and still greater pleasure was conveyed in sound—for Mr. Weston immediately accosted her with, How d'ye do? —how d'ye do?

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

They had not long separated, when Miss Bingley came towards her, and with an expression of civil disdain accosted her: So, Miss Eliza, I hear you are quite delighted with George Wickham!

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

But at last she found herself with some surprise, accosted by Miss Steele, who, though looking rather shy, expressed great satisfaction in meeting them, and on receiving encouragement from the particular kindness of Mrs. Jennings, left her own party for a short time, to join their's.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

A few minutes, though as few as possible, were inevitably consumed; and when her own mistress again, when able to turn and look as she had done before, she found herself accosted by Captain Wentworth, in a reserved yet hurried sort of farewell.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

I would not accost him yet.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)