accompany

[uh-kuhm-puh-nee]

verb (used with object)

accompanied, accompanying 

1. to go along or in company with; join in action.

   to accompany a friend on a walk.

2. to be or exist in association or company with.

   Thunder accompanies lightning.

3. to put in company with; cause to be or go along; associate (usually followed bywith ).

   He accompanied his speech with gestures.

4. Music.,  to play or sing an accompaniment to or for.

verb (used without object)

accompanied, accompanying 

1. to provide the musical accompaniment.

accompany

/ əˈkʌmpənɪ, əˈkʌmpnɪ /

verb

1. (tr) to go along with, so as to be in company with or escort

2. to supplement

   the food is accompanied with a very hot mango pickle

3. (tr) to occur, coexist, or be associated with

4. to provide a musical accompaniment for (a performer)

Other Word Forms

• nonaccompanying adjective
• reaccompany verb (used with object)
• accompanier noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of accompany¹

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English accompanye, from Middle French accompagnier; ac-, company

Word History and Origins

Origin of accompany¹

C15: from Old French accompaignier, from compaing _companion ¹

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

In its whimsically byzantine rules, the king of hearts is dubbed Heart the Lover, and the game’s secret language accompanies the trio through their lives.

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But, if there’s one thing you take away from this article and the accompanying recipe, let it be the habit of boiling your Swiss chard.

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With all the difficulties that accompany being a gallerist these days, Ms. Cedar proves that it’s most rewarding to be a happy warrior.

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In the foreground, an indigenous woman carrying a baby in her arms and a basket on her back, accompanied by a young boy and his dogs, traverses the rocky terrain.

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However, Mann said weak consumer spending may have less to do with high borrowing costs than memories of the jump in inflation that accompanied the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

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Related Words

• attend 
• escort 
• follow 
• guide 
• lead