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.
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to put in company with; cause to be or go along; associate (usually followed bywith ).
He accompanied his speech with gestures.
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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
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(tr) to occur, coexist, or be associated with
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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
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has accompaniedperfect
-
am accompanyingprogressive
-
are accompanyingprogressive
-
is accompanyingprogressive
-
have been accompanyingperfect progressive
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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:
It is also a live demonstration of Dixon’s argument: When the rules change midstream, confusion does not merely accompany the process.
From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026
Trump’s team scrambled jet fighters to accompany the plane the president left behind, officials said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Dogs did more than accompany humans as people spread around the planet.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026
One approached insistently and said he was 14 years old and had come alone with no adults or older companions to accompany him.
From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026
In other words, the melody can be constructed so that it strongly suggests a harmony that could accompany it.
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
She often accompanies a group of nuns from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv, where they deliver food and clothes to the homeless and drug addicts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
Their second-highest payroll accompanies the league’s second-worst record.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
I pressed my right hand against my chest horizontally in the traditional gesture that accompanies the tune.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026
"A topic that regularly accompanies what we are doing is how are we doing it? How do we include local expertise?"
From Science Daily ● Jun. 25, 2026
He accompanies her to car 48 and makes August vacate while she goes inside.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
Chew said that the drive higher for the market was accompanied by bullish investors increasing long positions rather than bearish investors closing their shorts.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
The breakout above the July highs has been accompanied by decisive buying pressure, with the subsequent momentum suggesting that the bulls are in control, Weston says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
Joe Biden's 2023 visit to Ukraine was also shrouded in strict secrecy during a long journey by plane and train, though he was accompanied by a reporter and photographer.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
From the moment Kinahan entered the dock, until he was led out 13 minutes later, almost everyone was looking towards him - and the proceedings were accompanied by constant typing from the press benches.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
Leah returned to New York City accompanied by the spirit-believing, newly smitten Mr. Underhill.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
“If there’s a sudden wave of positive Brilliant Earth content on here, it might not be coincidental,” a moderator warned the Reddit community devoted to jewelry, accompanying the message with a siren emoji.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
The accompanying video, which features footage provided by Hussle’s family and new clips of Rideaux, has amassed more than 1.2 million views.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
Regarding the child's behaviour, Porter Airlines said "attempts by the accompanying parent and crew to address this were unsuccessful".
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
You can read the full package of articles accompanying this series at slate.com/bythepeople.
From Slate ● Aug. 8, 2026
As I shut it, Saint Paul’s, and all the many church-clocks in the City—some leading, some accompanying, some following—struck that hour.
From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens
Definitions 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.
