- present participle of accommodate.
accommodating
Americanadjective
adjective
Usage
What does accommodating mean? The adjective accommodating means eager or willing to help or please. It comes from the continuous tense (-ing form) of the verb accommodate, which means to do someone a favor or meet their needs or wants in some way, as in You don’t have to accommodate everyone all the time—sometimes the answer should be no. To accommodate a request is to honor it—to do what has been asked, as in They were kind enough to accommodate my special requests. Example: We can’t thank you enough—you’ve been so accommodating and have made us feel so welcome.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of accommodating
First recorded in 1610–20; accommodat(e) + -ing 2
Explanation
If you are part of a group that has accommodating members, you’re very fortunate. Accommodating describes those who are easy to get along with and willing to help you. Accommodating is the adjective form of the verb accommodate, and it’s used to describe those who are cheerfully willing to make small adjustments to help you out. The waiter who is happy to serve the dressing on the side, give you extra cheese on the burger, and swap French fries for mashed potatoes, all because that's how you want it? Definitely accommodating.
Vocabulary lists containing accommodating
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Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
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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.
This has the added benefit of accommodating those who don’t want to drink alcohol.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
That's despite pressure on the EU to show more flexibility when it comes to accommodating allies, considering the turbulent times we live in.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
Things that are hearty and comforting, endlessly accommodating and somehow greater than the sum of their decidedly humble parts.
From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026
The calendar is also less accommodating than it was.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
He seemed harmless, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that his accommodating manner, his eagerness to help us, was masking something unpleasant, something more sinister in him.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
