Accosting: meaning, definitions and examples

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accosting

 

[ ษ™หˆkษ’stษชล‹ ]

Verb
Context #1 | Verb

confronting someone

Accosting refers to the act of approaching someone boldly or aggressively, often in a way that may be intrusive or unwelcome. This can occur in various situations, such as on the street, where a person might stop another to ask for help or engage in conversation. While sometimes it can be benign or friendly, it is often perceived negatively, especially if the person being accosted feels threatened or harassed.

Synonyms

accost, address, approach, intercept

Examples of usage

  • The street performer was accosting passersby for donations.
  • He was accosted by a stranger asking for directions.
  • The reporter accosted the politician outside the event.

Translations

Translations of the word "accosting" in other languages:

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น abordagem

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ เคธเคพเคฎเคจเคพ เค•เคฐเคจเคพ

๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช ansprechen

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ menyapa

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ะฟั–ะดั…ะพะดะธั‚ะธ

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฑ podchodziฤ‡

๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต ่ฟ‘ใฅใ

๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท aborder

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ acercarse

๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท yanaลŸmak

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท ๋‹ค๊ฐ€๊ฐ€๋‹ค

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ุงู„ุงู‚ุชุฑุงุจ

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฟ oslovit

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฐ oslovovaลฅ

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ ๆŽฅ่ฟ‘

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฎ pristopiti

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ธ nรกlgast

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ฟ ะถะฐา›ั‹ะฝะดะฐัƒ

๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ช แƒ›แƒแƒแƒฎแƒšแƒแƒ”แƒ‘แƒ

๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฟ yanaลŸmaq

๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฝ acercarse

Etymology

The word 'accost' originates from the Middle French 'acoster', which means 'to lie alongside' or 'approach'. The roots can be traced even further back to the Latin 'accostare', from 'ad-' meaning 'to' and 'costa' meaning 'side' or 'rib'. The transition into English took place in the late 15th century, initially maintaining a neutral connotation of approaching someone. However, over time, it adopted a more negative implication, often associated with unwanted or aggressive encounters. This evolution reflects societal attitudes towards personal boundaries and the acts of approaching others in public spaces, which can be perceived as either friendly or intrusive, depending on the context.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranking #36,204, this word is encountered relatively rarely in everyday English. It might appear in literary works or specialized texts but isn't essential for general communication.