escort
gb/ˈɛskɔɹt/ us/ˈɛskɔɹt/
B2
English
~ 6600
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B2
action
1
accompany someone for safety or help
To go with a person to a place to keep them safe or to guide them.
Usage pattern:
[someone] escorts [someone] to [a place]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"escort with someone"* or *"escort someone with"*. The correct pattern is "escort [someone]" or "escort [someone] to [a place]", for example: "They escorted her to the train", not *"They escorted with her to the train."*
Synonyms
accompany (More general and neutral; does not directly suggest safety or protection.)
|
chaperone (Often used for watching or protecting younger people at social events, more formal or old-fashioned.)
Antonyms
abandon (Means to leave someone alone without help or protection, the opposite of going with them for safety.)
Collocations
escort someone home
|escort someone to safety
|escort a visitor
|escort a VIP
|escort the prisoners
|escort tourists
Themes
daily life
|travel
|safety
|law
|daily_life
Examples
- Security guards escorted the singer to her car after the concert.
- A staff member will escort you to the meeting room.
- Parents were asked to escort their children across the busy road.
- Police escorted the injured driver to the ambulance.
- The tour guide escorted the group through the old city.
Learner examples
- The teacher escorted the students to the bus.
- A nurse escorted my grandfather to the doctor.
- Two officers escorted the man to the police car.
Noun
B2
entity
2
person who goes with you for safety
A person who goes with another person to keep them safe, help them, or watch them.
Usage pattern:
an escort for [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse the noun and verb forms and say *"He is escorting"* when they mean *"He is an escort"*. Use the noun when you talk about the person’s role ("He is my escort"), and the verb when you talk about the action ("He will escort me").
Synonyms
bodyguard (Focuses more strongly on physical protection, especially from attack.)
|
guard (More general; may or may not move with the person and is not always one-to-one.)
Antonyms
attacker (Plays the opposite role in a dangerous situation; instead of protecting a person, this person threatens them.)
Collocations
police escort
|armed escort
|military escort
|official escort
|personal escort
|security escort
Themes
safety
|work
|travel
|law
|daily_life
Examples
- The politician arrived with a police escort.
- Each prisoner had an armed escort on the way to court.
- Visitors without an escort are not allowed in this area.
- She acted as an escort for the elderly guests during the trip.
- Foreign journalists were provided with a military escort.
Learner examples
- The king traveled with an armed escort.
- Each child had an adult escort on the trip.
- They entered the building with a police escort.
Noun
C1
entity
3
person paid for companionship or sex
A person you pay to go out with you, often also for sex.
Usage pattern:
an escort from [an agency/service]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "escort" to mean any romantic partner or date, which can be confusing because this sense often involves payment and sometimes sex. Use "date", "boyfriend", or "girlfriend" for personal relationships, and "escort" when it is a paid service.
Synonyms
sex worker (Broad, neutral term for people who work in the sex industry, not only as escorts.)
|
call girl (Informal and gender-specific; usually refers to a female escort and can sound dated or judgmental.)
Antonyms
girlfriend (A romantic partner in a personal relationship, not someone you usually pay for companionship.)
Collocations
hire an escort
|book an escort
|escort service
|escort agency
|high-class escort
|male escort
Themes
relationships
|work
|daily_life
Examples
- He booked an escort through an online agency while visiting the city on business.
- The website clearly advertises escort services for wealthy clients.
- She works as an escort and meets her clients at hotels.
- The article discussed the dangers faced by escorts in large cities.
- Police investigated the escort agency for possible human trafficking.
Learner examples
- He paid for an escort at the hotel.
- The man called an escort service in the evening.
- Some escorts meet their clients in bars or clubs.
Noun
B2
entity
4
protective group traveling with someone
A group that travels with a person or vehicle to keep them safe or help them.
Usage pattern:
an escort of [vehicles/guards]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use *"escort"* instead of *"convoy"* for any group of vehicles. Use "escort" when the group is there mainly for protection or official support; use "convoy" for a simple line of vehicles traveling together.
Synonyms
convoy (Usually a group of vehicles traveling together, not always with the idea of protection.)
|
guard detail (More formal and military; focuses on the personnel assigned to protection.)
Antonyms
unescorted convoy (A convoy or group traveling without protective vehicles or guards.)
Collocations
police escort
|motorcycle escort
|fighter escort
|naval escort
|helicopter escort
|armed escort
Themes
security
|military
|transport
|transportation
|law
Examples
- The president's car moved quickly through the city with a motorcycle escort.
- The supply ship sailed under destroyer escort.
- Ambulances left the area with a police escort.
- Fighter jets provided an escort for the transport aircraft.
- The VIPs were given a full police escort from the airport.
Learner examples
- The truck had a police escort on the highway.
- The ship traveled with a naval escort.
- Two helicopters flew as an escort for the plane.
Verb
B2
action
5
lead someone out under control
To take a person out of a place by walking with them, usually because they must leave.
Usage pattern:
[someone] escorts [someone] out/of [a place]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"They escorted him outside of"* and add an extra preposition. It is more natural to say "They escorted him out of the building" or "They escorted him outside" but not both together.
Synonyms
remove (More general and formal; does not show that someone walks with the person.)
|
usher out (Suggests politely showing someone the way out, with less focus on authority.)
Antonyms
admit (Means to allow someone in, the opposite of taking them out of a place.)
Collocations
escort someone out
|escort someone off the premises
|escort a guest out
|escort protesters away
|escort someone from the building
|escort someone from the plane
Themes
security
|work
|law
|daily_life
Examples
- The manager asked security to escort the drunk customer out of the restaurant.
- Police escorted the protesters away from the entrance.
- Flight attendants escorted the disruptive passenger from the plane.
- The guards escorted the journalist out of the restricted area.
- Several fans were escorted from the stadium after fighting broke out.
Learner examples
- The guard escorted the man out of the building.
- Police escorted the fan from the stadium.
- They escorted the angry customer off the premises.
Noun
formal
B2
entity
6
companion at a formal event
A person who goes with you as your partner to a party or special event.
Usage pattern:
an escort to [an event]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes mix this sense with the paid-companion meaning and think that any "escort" must be paid. In formal or traditional events, an escort is usually just a partner or companion, not a paid service.
Synonyms
date (More general and informal; used for any person you go out with, not only at formal events.)
|
companion (Very general; does not clearly show that it is a social or romantic event.)
Antonyms
solo guest (A person who attends an event alone, without a partner or escort.)
Collocations
a prom escort
|an escort to the ball
|formal escort
|evening escort
|wedding escort
|official escort
Themes
social life
|relationships
|daily_life
Examples
- Each debutante appeared with an escort at the gala.
- She asked her friend to be her escort to the wedding.
- Guests may bring one escort to the formal dinner.
- He served as her escort for the charity ball.
- The invitation specified that every participant should arrive with an escort.
Learner examples
- She invited him to be her escort to the party.
- He went to the school dance as her escort.
- Each girl had an escort at the event.
Verb
formal
C1
action
7
go with someone as social partner
To go with a person as their partner to a party or special event.
Usage pattern:
[someone] escorts [someone] to [an event]
Common mistake:
Learners often avoid this verb in social situations and use only "go with". "Escort" is correct but sounds more formal and is typical in descriptions of ceremonies or traditional events, not casual outings.
Synonyms
accompany (More general and neutral; does not emphasize a social or partner role.)
|
take (In phrases like "take someone to the dance" it is less formal and more common in everyday speech.)
Antonyms
stand up (Informal phrase meaning to fail to meet someone for a planned date, opposite of going with them.)
Collocations
escort someone to the ball
|escort a lady
|escort a guest
|personally escort
|formally escort
Themes
social life
|relationships
|daily_life
Examples
- He graciously escorted her to the charity gala.
- Each officer escorted a guest to the head table.
- Local volunteers escorted the visitors to the reception.
- Her brother escorted her to the graduation ceremony.
- Several young men escorted the debutantes to the dance floor.
Learner examples
- He escorted her to the school dance.
- Her father escorted her to the ceremony.
- Three students escorted the guests to the hall.
Grammar
Dictionary form
escort
IPA
GB/ˈɛskɔɹt/
US/ˈɛskɔɹt/
Syllables & stress
es - cort (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (es)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: escort
- Plural: escort, escorts
Verb
- Base: escort
- 3rd Person Singular: escorts
- Present Participle: escorting
- Past: escorted
Word family
Forms
escorts
noun
escorting
verb
escorted
verb
Negative and opposite forms
unescorted
adjective
Expressions
armed escort
1/ˈɑɹmd ˈɛskɔɹt/
fixed phrase
guard or group with weapons
A person or group with guns who goes with someone or something to protect them.
Examples
- The aid workers traveled with an armed escort in the conflict zone.
- Each truck in the convoy had an armed escort.
- Journalists were required to move with an armed escort outside the base.
escort agency
1/ˈɛskɔɹt ˈeɪd͡ʒənsi/
fixed phrase
company organizing escorts for clients
A company that hires escorts and helps them meet clients for money.
Examples
- She signed a contract with a high-end escort agency.
- Police carried out a raid on the escort agency downtown.
- The documentary followed several women working for an escort agency.
escort service
1/ˈɛskɔɹt sˈɚvɪs/
fixed phrase
business providing paid escorts
A company that finds escorts for people who pay for their time, often for social or sexual reasons.
Examples
- He was arrested for running an illegal escort service.
- Many escort services advertise their models online.
- The article examined working conditions in the escort service industry.
fighter escort
1/fˈaɪtɚ ˈɛskɔɹt/
fixed phrase
technical
fighter planes protecting other planes
Military fighter planes that fly with other planes to keep them safe from attack.
Examples
- The bombers flew with a strong fighter escort.
- Helicopters provided a fighter escort for the transport aircraft.
- During the mission, the transport planes had a continuous fighter escort.
police escort
1/pəlˈis ˈɛskɔɹt/
fixed phrase
police group traveling with someone
Police officers or police cars that go with a person or vehicle to keep them safe or control them.
Examples
- The ambulance drove to the hospital with a police escort.
- The visiting president received a full police escort through the city.
- Protesters were moved from the area under police escort.
under escort
1/ˈʌndɚ ˈɛskɔɹt/
fixed phrase
being guarded while being moved
Moving from one place to another while guards or police go with you and watch you.
Examples
- The prisoners were transferred under escort to another facility.
- Foreign journalists were only allowed to travel under escort in the region.
- The suspect left the court under police escort.