accept
gb/æksˈɛpt/ us/æksˈɛpt/
A2
English
~ 600
Senses
0 senses
Verb
A2
action
1
Agree to take something offered
To say yes to getting something that someone gives you.
Usage pattern:
to accept [something] from [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'accept' with 'except'. 'Accept' means to agree to take; 'except' means to leave out or exclude.
Synonyms
receive (Focuses on the act of getting something, not necessarily agreeing to it.)
Antonyms
refuse (Means to say no to an offer or request.)
Collocations
accept a gift
|accept an invitation
|accept payment
|accept responsibility
Themes
daily life
|social interaction
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She gladly accepted the flowers he brought.
- I can't accept this money—it's too much.
- They accepted the award on behalf of the whole team.
- He accepted the job offer without hesitation.
Learner examples
- I accept your gift.
- She accepted the book from her friend.
- He accepted the pen from the teacher.
- We accept the food from our neighbor.
Verb
B1
action
2
Agree to a proposal or plan
To say yes to a plan or idea.
Usage pattern:
to accept [a proposal/plan/suggestion]
Synonyms
approve (More formal and often used for official decisions.)
Antonyms
reject (Means to not agree to or approve something.)
Collocations
accept terms
|accept an offer
|accept a proposal
Themes
social interaction
|business
|communication
Examples
- The board accepted the new budget proposal.
- She accepted their terms after some negotiation.
- We accepted his suggestion for the next project.
Learner examples
- I accept your idea.
- They accept our plan.
- She accepts his help.
- We accept the rules.
Verb
B1
action
3
Come to terms with reality
To understand and live with something bad or hard to change.
Usage pattern:
to accept [a fact/situation]
Synonyms
acknowledge (Focuses on recognizing something is true, without implying emotional adjustment.)
Antonyms
deny (Means to refuse to believe or accept as true.)
Collocations
accept the truth
|accept defeat
|accept reality
Themes
emotions
|life challenges
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She finally accepted that the relationship was over.
- He had to accept the loss of his job.
- They accepted the fact that the weather could not be changed.
Learner examples
- I accept that I made a mistake.
- She accepts that her team lost.
- We accept that it is raining.
- He accepts that he is wrong.
Verb
B1
action
4
Admit into a group or place
To say yes to letting someone join a group or place.
Usage pattern:
to accept [someone] into [a group/institution]
Synonyms
admit (Common in contexts like schools, hospitals, and clubs.)
Antonyms
reject (Means to refuse someone entry or membership.)
Collocations
accept students
|accept new members
|accept patients
Themes
education
|social interaction
|relationships
Examples
- The school accepted 500 new students this year.
- They accepted him into the chess club.
- The hospital is not accepting new patients at the moment.
Learner examples
- The school accepts many students.
- We accept new members in our club.
- The hospital accepts sick people.
- They accept new players in the team.
Verb
B1
action
5
Take responsibility offered or given
To say yes to doing a job or task.
Usage pattern:
to accept [a role/responsibility/task]
Synonyms
undertake (More formal, emphasizing commitment to perform the duty.)
Antonyms
decline (Means to politely refuse a role or responsibility.)
Collocations
accept responsibility
|accept a challenge
|accept an assignment
Themes
work
|social interaction
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She accepted full responsibility for the mistake.
- He accepted the role of project manager.
- They accepted the challenge without hesitation.
Learner examples
- I accept this job.
- She accepts the work.
- We accept the challenge.
- He accepts the role.
Grammar
Dictionary form
accept
IPA
GB/æksˈɛpt/
US/æksˈɛpt/
Syllables & stress
ac - cept (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (cept)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: accept
- 3rd Person Singular: accepts
- Present Participle: accepting
- Past: accepted
Word family
Forms
accepts
verb
accepting
verb
accepted
verb
Core family
acceptance
noun B1
acceptable
adjective B1
Related words
acceptably
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
unacceptable
adjective B1
unacceptably
adverb
Advanced or less common
acceptability
noun
Expressions
accept an offer
1/æksˈɛpt ən ˈɔfɚ/
fixed phrase
Agree to take an offer made by someone else
To say yes when someone gives you a choice or deal.
Examples
- I decided to accept their offer for the house.
- She accepted a job offer in New York.
accept defeat
1/æksˈɛpt dɪfˈit/
fixed phrase
Admit loss in competition or conflict
To agree that you have lost a game, fight, or competition.
Examples
- After hours of play, she finally accepted defeat.
- He refused to accept defeat despite losing badly.
accept terms and conditions
1/æksˈɛpt tˈɚmz ˈænd kəndˈɪʃənz/
fixed phrase
Agree formally to stated rules before proceeding
To click 'yes' or say you agree with the rules before using something.
Examples
- You must accept the terms and conditions before creating an account.
- By signing, you accept all terms and conditions of this agreement.
accept responsibility
1/æksˈɛpt ɹispˌɑnsɪbˈɪləti/
fixed phrase
Agree to be accountable for something
To say you will take blame or duty for something you did or must do.
Examples
- He accepted responsibility for breaking the window.
- The minister accepted responsibility for the policy failure.
- The company accepted responsibility for the product defect.
- She accepted responsibility without hesitation.