accosted

[uh-kaw-stid, uh-kos-tid] / əˈkɔ stɪd, əˈkɒs tɪd /

VERB

approach for conversation or solicitation

Synonyms

STRONGEST

annoy buttonhole confront

STRONG

address bother brace call challenge cross dare entice face flag greet hail proposition salute welcome

WEAK

run into whistle for

Antonyms

STRONG

aid help ignore refrain slight turn away

WEAK

avoid dodge evade scorn shun

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.

On Tuesday, the 63-year-old doctor of engineering was accosted as she walked through Mexico City.

From Barron's • Nov. 7, 2025

"I cannot move out of my house without being accosted and challenged by the police and driving me back home," Lungu told the BBC in May 2024.

From BBC • Jun. 20, 2025

A few weeks prior, a surfer was reportedly accosted by a “feral, almost demonic” sea lion that he said dragged him off his board in Oxnard and stalked him in the water.

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2025

“I was accosted by Sacramento Police Department officers, falsely accused of driving under the influence, and involuntarily detained for several hours at the hospital,” Cervantes said in her statement.

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2025

A few days later, after Hoover had had the bonus marchers driven from Washington at the point of bayonets, I accosted him: “What about that revolution you predicted if the bonus marchers were driven out?”

From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright