accept
accept — verb
1. to willingly take a thing that another person hands you, gives you, or formally
to willingly take a thing that another person hands you, gives you, or formally awards to you.
Viraj accepted the small wooden bird her grandfather had carved for her birthday.
accept + concrete gift object
Please accept this bunch of roses as a thank-you for helping us move house.
imperative form for polite gestures
The young pianist walked on stage and accepted the gold medal from the judges.
Dimitri politely accepted a cup of green tea from his new neighbour.
Aiko was so surprised that she could barely accept the bouquet without crying.
文法句型
accept + noun (a gift, a prize, a job)
用法筆記
Subject is usually a person, and the object is a physical thing or formal award being handed over. Distinguish from sense 2, where the object is an offer or invitation rather than an item.
常見錯誤
2. to reply yes when an invitation, offer, or proposal is put to you, agreeing to g
to reply yes when an invitation, offer, or proposal is put to you, agreeing to go ahead with it.
After thinking it over for a week, Mei accepted the job offer from the Tokyo office.
accept + job offer (typical collocation)
Aiko was thrilled to accept her friend's invitation to the wedding in Kyoto.
accept + invitation to + event
We invited the whole class to the picnic, and almost everyone accepted.
The committee accepted our proposal to plant more trees along the riverbank.
Daniel accepted his coach's challenge to run a half-marathon next spring.
- agree to
interchangeable for proposals; less common for invitations
- say yes to
more conversational and direct
文法句型
accept + noun (offer, invitation, proposal)
accept (intransitive)
用法筆記
Object is typically an offer, invitation, proposal, or challenge — something you can say yes or no to, not a physical item. Often used without an object when context makes the offer clear.
常見錯誤
3. to look at a piece of work, an idea, or a person and decide it is good enough or
to look at a piece of work, an idea, or a person and decide it is good enough or right for a particular purpose.
The journal accepted Dr. Wairimu's article after two months of careful review.
accept + a piece of work for publication
Her novel was finally accepted by a small publisher in Edinburgh.
passive: be accepted by + publisher
The judges accepted Jamal's painting into the summer exhibition.
Her plan for the new bridge was widely accepted as the safest design.
The teacher would not accept any homework written in pencil.
文法句型
accept + noun + as + noun
be accepted as
用法筆記
Frequently passive (be accepted, be widely accepted). Common in academic, artistic, and review contexts where a gatekeeper judges quality. Distinguish from sense 1: here you judge quality, you do not just take a physical item.
常見錯誤
4. to come to think that a statement or claim is true, especially after hearing the
to come to think that a statement or claim is true, especially after hearing the reasons or evidence behind it.
Lina finally accepted that her old phone was beyond repair.
accept + that-clause for agreeing something is true
Most scientists now accept that the Earth's climate is warming quickly.
accept + that-clause with widespread expert agreement
The judge would not accept the witness's story about the missing keys.
Her parents simply could not accept that their quiet daughter had won the championship.
I accept your point about the schedule, but we still need more time.
- believe
more general; 'accept' suggests you were once doubtful
- acknowledge
stress on admitting something even when it is hard
文法句型
accept + that-clause
accept + noun (story, claim, fact)
用法筆記
Only sense in this group that takes a that-clause. Often follows reasoning words like 'finally', 'reluctantly', or 'now' to show the believer was once unsure. Distinguish from sense 5: here you believe something is true; in sense 5 you put up with a hard situation.
常見錯誤
5. to live with a hard or painful situation calmly, because you have understood tha
to live with a hard or painful situation calmly, because you have understood that you are unable to change it.
After the flood, the villagers had to accept the loss of their homes and start over.
accept + difficult life event
Priya found it hard to accept her grandmother's death, even after a full year.
accept + emotional loss
Dimitri slowly accepted that he would never play professional football again.
The team had to accept defeat after losing the final by two goals.
After three rejection letters, Viraj finally accepted that her first novel needed a full rewrite.
- endure
stress on suffering bravely over a long time
- come to terms with
highlights the slow emotional process
- resign yourself to
stronger sense of giving up hope of change
文法句型
accept + noun (reality, situation, fate)
用法筆記
Object must be something unwanted (loss, defeat, illness, fate). Subject is the person enduring the situation. Distinguish from sense 4: in sense 4 you decide a claim is true; here you stop fighting an unpleasant reality.
常見錯誤
6. (of a school, club, or other group) to allow a new person to join, study, or use
(of a school, club, or other group) to allow a new person to join, study, or use what the group offers.
Yale University accepted Viraj for the autumn term after she sent in her test scores.
accept + person + for + programme
Daniel was accepted into the school orchestra after a short audition.
passive: be accepted into [institution]
The chess club happily accepted the two new members from the high school.
Many top hospitals will only accept patients who have a referral from their doctor.
After living in the village for ten years, Dimitri was finally accepted as one of them.
文法句型
accept + noun + into/onto + group
be accepted into + institution
用法筆記
Subject is usually an institution (school, club, hospital) or its members. Frequently passive: 'be accepted into/onto [programme]'. Different from sense 3 (where the work or idea is judged) — here a person joins or is welcomed.
常見錯誤
7. to publicly agree that you are the one at fault for a problem, or to take on a d
to publicly agree that you are the one at fault for a problem, or to take on a duty such as paying a debt that has come to you.
The pilot accepted full responsibility for the rough landing in Osaka.
accept + responsibility for + noun
Mr. Sato refused to accept blame for the broken vase in the hallway.
accept + blame for + noun
By signing the form, Aiko accepted the debts left by her late uncle.
The mayor stood at the podium and accepted liability for the water shortage.
Dimitri accepted the duty of caring for his grandmother after she fell ill.
文法句型
accept + responsibility / blame / liability for + noun
用法筆記
Object must be a noun naming a fault or burden — responsibility, blame, liability, the debt, the duty. Distinguish from sense 1 (TAKE): there you accept a gift or a job; here you accept something nobody wants.
常見錯誤
8. (of a shop, machine, or surface) to be built or set up so that it can take a par
(of a shop, machine, or surface) to be built or set up so that it can take a particular form of payment, or hold something put onto or into it.
The bakery on Renai Road only accepts cash, so bring a few coins.
accept + form of payment (cash, cards)
Most taxis in Taipei now accept credit cards through a small reader on the dashboard.
accept + credit cards / mobile payment
This printer accepts paper up to A3 size, so the poster will fit.
The old vending machine downstairs will not accept the new ten-dollar coins.
The wall has been painted so that it accepts thumbtacks without cracking.
- reject
of a machine that pushes a coin or card back out
文法句型
accept + form of payment
accept + physical input
用法筆記
Subject is usually a shop, machine, or surface — not a person making a personal choice. Distinguish from sense 1 (TAKE) and sense 2: here the verb describes a built-in capacity, not a willing decision.
常見錯誤
9. (of a council, board, or other formal body) to take in a written report from a c
(of a council, board, or other formal body) to take in a written report from a committee as part of an official meeting record.
The town council voted to accept the audit report from the finance committee.
accept + report from + committee
The board accepted the safety report and asked for it to be added to the minutes.
official record context (minutes)
Members voted to accept the working group's findings without further debate.
The senate formally accepted the report on student housing presented by Professor Lee.
文法句型
accept + a report / proposal (formal body as subject)
用法筆記
Common in council, parliament, and committee minutes. The subject must be a deliberative body; the object is almost always a report, findings, or proposal. Distinguish from sense 3 (APPROVE): accepting a report only enters it into the record, while approving it endorses its content.