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
-
accompanysimple
-
accompaniessimple
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Tribute to the Dog," Vocabulary from the speech
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Lob's Girl" by Joan Aiken
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
But with Berlant, it’s not just about the jokes; it’s about the rhythm and physicality that accompany them.
From Salon ● Oct. 16, 2026
A carousel of 135 slides dating from 1976 to 1996 will accompany the four-gallery survey, underscoring the role documentation has played in preserving work created in remote locations for brief periods.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
The International Monetary Fund has a reputation for visual excellence, and the chart the global agency used to accompany its latest world economic outlook is quite striking.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
Similar signals could accompany other short GRBs but may have gone unnoticed because earlier missions were not able to capture prompt emission at energies below the gamma-ray range.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026
One day, when Dodzi’s father was away, Dodzi convinced the boy to accompany him somewhere in his father’s canoe.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
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
Becerra, on the other hand, has campaigned like he has it as easy as the guy who accompanies the quinceañera girl during her showcase waltz.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026
So on Air Force One, for example, or in the Oval Office, the White House press pool accompanies the president to those kinds of places, and when he travels, accompanies him.
From Slate ● Sep. 30, 2026
“Patent expiry is a natural part of a pharmaceutical product life cycle,” a Novo Nordisk spokesman said, adding that the company is “well equipped to navigate the evolving landscape that accompanies loss of exclusivity.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026
“You should probably know there’s an alarm that accompanies the entire drill from the time you leave your classroom through resting your head here.”
From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers
"It's already been over 10 years. It's certainly going to be good for business," she said, without wishing to be named, accompanied by her friend and her dog.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
From 2022 through 2025, state-funded security accompanied Paxton on 19 foreign trips to countries including Greece, Italy, South Africa and Mexico, according to records, more than either the governor or lieutenant governor during that time.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
Sports enthusiasts have their own dedicated amenity in the form of a clay tennis court, which is accompanied by an entertainment pavilion.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026
The comedian and actor arrived at court wearing a navy suit and sunglasses, accompanied by his wife Laura.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
When seven-year-old Bobby, accompanied by his mother, walked into the Brooklyn Chess Club for the first time on a Friday night in January 1951, he was an anomaly.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
His “viral hospital rumor has been debunked,” the account wrote in a post accompanying an article about the debunking.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026
“There are no words to describe this feeling once again. What a blessing,” Cuoco wrote in her emoji-filled caption accompanying a slideshow of photos introducing their new baby.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
Not only the accompanying wall text but the entire exhibit corrects this omission splendidly.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
An accompanying animation shows the tracks of these observations across the enormous ice-covered landscape.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026
Taisin herself looked momentarily alarmed at the prospect of Kaede accompanying her, but the expression vanished almost instantly, making Kaede wonder if she had imagined it.
From "Huntress" by Malinda Lo
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
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.
