accost

/əˈkɔst/

//əˈkɔst// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"accost" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“accost” is an uncommon English word, ranked #98,935 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#98,935
frequency rank, English
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To approach and speak to boldly or aggressively, as with a demand or request.

Key facts for accost
PropertyValue
Headwordaccost
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/əˈkɔst/
Letters6
Frequency rank#98,935
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “accost” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). accost lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for accost is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˈkɔst/. Corpus data places it at rank #98,935 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for accost, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French accoster, acoster, from Old French acoster (“to stand beside”) (whence Medieval Latin accostare), from Old French a- + coste (“side, flank”). The correct English form is accost, spelled A-C-C-O-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To approach and speak to boldly or aggressively, as with a demand or request.
  2. 2
    To join side to side; to border.
  3. 3
    To sail along the coast or side of.
  4. 4
    To approach; to come up to.
  5. 5
    To speak to first; to address; to greet.
  6. 6
    To adjoin; to lie alongside.
  7. 7
    To assault.
  8. 8
    To solicit sexually.

Etymology

From Middle French accoster, acoster, from Old French acoster (“to stand beside”) (whence Medieval Latin accostare), from Old French a- + coste (“side, flank”).

Synonyms

waylay

This word in other languages

embestir(Español)accoster(Français)bedrängen(Deutsch)abordar(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "accost"?
"accost" is spelled A-C-C-O-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈkɔst/.
What does "accost" mean?
As a verb, "accost" means: To approach and speak to boldly or aggressively, as with a demand or request.
How do you pronounce "accost"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "accost" is /əˈkɔst/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "accost"?
From Middle French accoster, acoster, from Old French acoster (“to stand beside”) (whence Medieval Latin accostare), from Old French a- + coste (“side, flank”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “accost”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is A-C-C-O-S-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /əˈkɔst/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list