accompany
Americanverb (used with object)
-
accompanies,
present (3rd person singular)
-
accompanied,
past participle, past
-
accompanying
present participle
-
to go along or in company with; join in action.
to accompany a friend on a walk.
-
to be or exist in association or company with.
Thunder accompanies lightning.
-
to put in company with; cause to be or go along; associate (usually followed bywith ).
He accompanied his speech with gestures.
-
Music. to play or sing an accompaniment to or for.
verb (used without object)
-
accompanies,
present (3rd person singular)
-
accompanied,
past participle, past
-
accompanying
present participle
verb
-
(tr) to go along with, so as to be in company with or escort
-
to supplement
the food is accompanied with a very hot mango pickle
-
(tr) to occur, coexist, or be associated with
-
to provide a musical accompaniment for (a performer)
Synonym Usage
Accompany, attend, convoy, escort mean to go along with someone (or something). To accompany is to go along as an associate on equal terms: to accompany a friend on a shopping trip. Attend implies going along with, usually to render service or perform duties: to attend one's employer on a business trip. To convoy is to accompany (especially ships) with an armed guard for protection: to convoy a fleet of merchant vessels. To escort is to accompany in order to protect, guard, honor, or show courtesy: to escort a visiting dignitary.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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accompanysimple
-
accompaniessimple
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have accompaniedperfect
-
has accompaniedperfect
-
am accompanyingprogressive
-
are accompanyingprogressive
-
is accompanyingprogressive
-
have been accompanyingperfect progressive
-
has been accompanyingperfect progressive
Past
-
accompaniedsimple
-
had accompaniedperfect
-
was accompanyingprogressive
-
were accompanyingprogressive
-
had been accompanyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of accompany
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English accompanye, from Middle French accompagnier; see ac-, company
Explanation
The verb accompany means to keep someone company, or to be their companion on a trip or journey. In a musical sense, accompany means to play background music for the lead singer or soloist. If you want your friend to keep you company on your way to the store, you could ask her to accompany you on the walk. Or, if you want your friend to play piano while you sing a song, you could ask her to accompany you on piano. Just don’t ask her to do both at the same time or your friend may not want to accompany you anywhere any longer.
Vocabulary lists containing accompany
The Circuit
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"Tribute to the Dog," Vocabulary from the speech
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"Lob's Girl" by Joan Aiken
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The experiments also showed that BRP promoted fat loss without the substantial muscle loss that can accompany some weight reduction treatments.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2026
May angels accompany Pope Leo’s mail-in ballot from the Vatican to the proper Chicago precinct so it doesn’t get sequestered in permanent limbo by the Justice Department.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026
Pale skin, hair shedding or brittle nails can accompany low iron, but can also be signs of other conditions, she told BBC News.
From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026
An "impartial American media organization" would accompany Russian and Ukrainian teams to ensure residents' wishes were respected, she added, without naming the outlet.
From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026
A student could accompany him on all voyages or only a few.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
It offers a way to gather information while minimizing the disturbance that normally accompanies quantum measurements.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 5, 2026
He currently attends a further education college with support one day a week but his mother accompanies him to local youth clubs a few nights a week.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
In one video, she accompanies a food delivery worker through his day to explain a proposal for social protection for digital platform workers.
From Barron's ● Oct. 19, 2026
But volatility often accompanies large and quick moves, and that’s particularly true when “turbulence hits major markets, causing liquidity-driven selloffs” like the one seen earlier this week, Samuelson said.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 17, 2026
Robin’s wife, Carrie MacDonald, is his business partner, and she often accompanies him on safaris with clients.
From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston
But as Iraq finally begins to experience relative stability, accompanied by a growing thirst for culture and entertainment, Jewish community leaders led by Khalida Fouad Eliyahu, 63, have started bringing their sites back to life.
From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2026
His political concerns and active vigilance are accompanied by a stubborn smile and frequent laughter.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026
Brand arrived at court today accompanied by his wife Laura and her father Bernard Gallacher, the former professional golfer.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026
The author also includes a chapter on women and children who accompanied Roman troops abroad as camp followers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
Even though Abraham Lincoln had been shot in a theatre sixteen years before, no bodyguards or law enforcement officers accompanied Garfield when he left the White House.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
"Nice welcome back to tour. I remember why I left," said the Londoner in the accompanying message.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
Burgers are available, with accompanying plastic bags that include lettuce, tomato, and pickle, to allow attendees to individually dress their sandwiches.
From Slate ● Nov. 2, 2026
In an accompanying statement, Canada said its funding would be delivered in stages, and contains several conditions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
The accompanying press release was considerably more cheerful about the whole affair.
From Salon ● Oct. 25, 2026
The habanera and its contredanse antecedents had a highly distinctive accompanying rhythm of four beats, which in musical notation - as in the opening of the Bizet song - looks like this.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
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