accompaniment

accompaniment — noun

1. the supporting part of a piece of music — usually played on piano, guitar, or by

1.nounC1
Definition

the supporting part of a piece of music — usually played on piano, guitar, or by an orchestra — that sits beneath a singer or solo instrument while the main melody plays on top.

Example

Mei sang an old folk song to the gentle accompaniment of a single guitar.

to the accompaniment of [instrument]

Mr. Lin wrote a piano accompaniment for his daughter's violin recital.

accompaniment for [solo instrument]

Common collocations
  • piano accompaniment
  • musical accompaniment
  • to the accompaniment of
  • play the accompaniment
  • provide accompaniment
Synonyms
  • backing

    more informal; common in pop/rock contexts

  • backing track

    specifically a pre-recorded instrumental track

Antonyms
  • solo

    music with no supporting part

Grammar Patterns

accompaniment to/for [singer/instrument]

to the accompaniment of [instrument]

Usage Note

Often appears in the fixed phrase 'to the accompaniment of [instrument]', meaning while that instrument is playing. Distinguish from sense 2 (the act of playing along) — this sense is the music itself, often written down on a score.

Common Mistakes

She made the accompaniment on the piano.
She played the accompaniment on the piano.
collocate with 'play' or 'provide', not 'make'.

2. the act of performing alongside a singer or another musician to support what the

2.nounC1
Definition

the act of performing alongside a singer or another musician to support what they are doing, rather than the supporting part itself.

Example

Greta earns extra money through accompaniment of jazz singers at a small downtown club.

accompaniment of [singer/musician]

Her accompaniment of the visiting cellist was praised by every reviewer in the city.

[someone's] accompaniment of [a soloist]

Common collocations
  • sensitive accompaniment
  • skilled accompaniment
  • accompaniment of a singer
Synonyms
  • backing

    less formal; refers to either the activity or the part

Grammar Patterns

accompaniment of [a singer/musician]

Usage Note

Refers to the activity of playing along, not the score itself — distinguish from sense 1. Subject is typically a person who supports another performer (often a pianist behind a singer).

3. the sounds — often loud, harsh, or unwelcome — that fill the air while you are d

3.nounC1
Definition

the sounds — often loud, harsh, or unwelcome — that fill the air while you are doing something else, used in the phrase 'to the accompaniment of'.

Example

Nia tried to study to the accompaniment of jackhammers in the street outside.

to the accompaniment of [unpleasant noise]

The mayor gave her speech to the accompaniment of loud boos from the crowd.

to the accompaniment of boos / shouts

Common collocations
  • to the accompaniment of cheers
  • to the accompaniment of laughter
  • to the accompaniment of gunfire
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

to the accompaniment of [sound]

Usage Note

Almost always appears in the fixed phrase 'to the accompaniment of [noise]'. Distinguish from sense 1: here the sound need not be music, and the focus is on the noise as a backdrop to a separate activity.

4. a second event, condition, or feeling that turns up alongside a main one — such

4.nounC2
Definition

a second event, condition, or feeling that turns up alongside a main one — such as a fever that arrives with the flu, or constant worry that arrives with a new job.

Example

Sleepless nights are a familiar accompaniment to early parenthood for most couples.

[X] is an accompaniment to [related event]

Empty supermarket shelves were an unwelcome accompaniment of the strict winter lockdown in Madrid.

an unwelcome accompaniment of [larger event]

Common collocations
  • familiar accompaniment
  • inevitable accompaniment
  • unwelcome accompaniment
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

accompaniment to/of [event]

Usage Note

Formal register; common in news, academic, and medical writing. Subject is usually an abstract noun (a feeling, condition, or event) rather than a person or object.

5. a smaller dish or drink that you serve next to a main one to make the meal taste

5.nounC1
Definition

a smaller dish or drink that you serve next to a main one to make the meal taste or feel more complete — for example, rice next to curry, or red wine next to steak.

Example

Steamed rice is the perfect accompaniment to a spicy Thai curry.

accompaniment to [main dish]

Aunt Rosa served warm bread as an accompaniment to the tomato soup.

as an accompaniment to [dish]

Common collocations
  • perfect accompaniment to
  • ideal accompaniment to
  • classic accompaniment to
  • serve as an accompaniment to
Synonyms
  • side dish

    more everyday word for the same thing

  • side

    shortened, very informal; restaurant menus

Antonyms
  • main course

    the central dish that the accompaniment supports

Grammar Patterns

accompaniment to [food/drink]

Usage Note

Always countable in this sense. Almost always followed by 'to' (not 'of'): 'accompaniment to the meal'. The accompaniment is by definition the smaller or supporting part of the meal.

Common Mistakes

Rice is the accompaniment of the curry.
Rice is the accompaniment to the curry.
use 'to', not 'of', for food.

6. a small extra item — often decorative — added next to something larger to make t

6.nounC2
Definition

a small extra item — often decorative — added next to something larger to make the whole thing feel finished or balanced, such as a pocket square next to a suit.

Example

A silk scarf was the elegant accompaniment to her dark winter coat.

elegant accompaniment to [main outfit]

Fresh flowers on the table are a lovely accompaniment to any dinner party.

lovely accompaniment to [setting]

Common collocations
  • elegant accompaniment
  • natural accompaniment
  • perfect accompaniment
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

accompaniment to [main object]

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 5: this is a non-food complement (clothing, decoration, design), focused on visual completeness. Subject is usually a small object that beautifies a larger one.

Idioms

to the accompaniment of something

idiom

Happening while a musical instrument is being played or while a sound is heard.

Mia danced to the accompaniment of a piano.

The choir sang to the accompaniment of an organ.

Word family

  • accompany
    verbB2
  • accompanying
    adjectiveC1
  • accompanist
    nounC2
  • unaccompanied
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/5

All four words name something served alongside a main item, but they sit at different points on the formal-to-informal scale and refer to different sizes of addition. 'Accompaniment' is the most formal and most general — a chef or food writer might call rice 'the accompaniment to the curry'. 'Side dish' is the everyday equivalent, used on home menus and in casual speech: 'What side dish goes with steak?' 'Garnish' is much smaller — usually a sprig of parsley or a slice of lemon meant to decorate the plate, not to fill the stomach. 'Complement' is broader and more abstract, often pointing to taste pairing rather than a physical dish: 'Red wine is the perfect complement to lamb.' So at a restaurant, mashed potato is a side dish, parsley on top is a garnish, the wine is a complement, and a food critic may call any of them an accompaniment.

accompaniment ↗side dishgarnishcomplement ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • piano accompaniment
  • musical accompaniment
  • side dish accompaniment

Phrases

  • the perfect accompaniment to
  • an unwelcome accompaniment of
  • to the accompaniment of

Prepositions

  • accompaniment to
  • accompaniment of
  • to the accompaniment of

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The English noun 'accompaniment' was built in the late 1700s from the verb 'accompany' (meaning 'to go along with') plus the suffix '-ment', which forms nouns of action or result. 'Accompany' itself came into English from Old French 'acompaignier', based on the noun 'compaignon' meaning 'companion' — literally 'someone you share bread with' (Latin 'cum' + 'panis', 'with' + 'bread'). Originally the word meant simply 'something that goes with another thing'; the musical sense, where a softer part supports a singer or main melody, became common in the 1800s as European art music and printed scores spread.