Encounter
/ɪnˈkaʊntər/
Definitions
2 meaningsTo come across or meet someone or something unexpectedly.
/ɪnˈkaʊntər/
To unexpectedly experience or meet with something or someone.
I encountered a difficult question on the exam.
💡 Simply: It's like when you bump into someone or something you didn't plan to. Like, you might encounter a grumpy cat at the park or a tricky math problem on your homework.
👶 For kids: To meet something or someone by accident. Like, you might encounter a dog on your way to school.
More Examples
During my travels, I encountered many different cultures.
The explorers encountered a fierce storm at sea.
How It's Used
"I encountered a problem with my computer."
"We encountered some heavy rain on our trip."
"He encountered an old friend at the store."
A brief or unexpected meeting, especially a hostile one.
/ɪnˈkaʊntər/
A brief or unexpected meeting.
The unexpected encounter at the airport made my day.
💡 Simply: It’s when you have a short meeting or interaction, especially if it's unexpected. Imagine running into your crush at the library - that's an encounter!
👶 For kids: A short meeting. Like, when you accidentally see someone at the store.
More Examples
The soldiers prepared for a potential enemy encounter.
That was an unpleasant encounter.
How It's Used
"I had a pleasant encounter with a former colleague."
"The troops had a brief encounter with the enemy."
"A close encounter with a bear is rare, but dangerous."
Idioms & expressions
close encounter
An unexpected and potentially dangerous or thrilling meeting.
"The hiker had a close encounter with a mountain lion."
encounter a problem
To face a problem.
"We encountered a problem with the software."
From Old French encontrer, from Latin incontrāre ('to meet, come upon'), from in ('in, on') + contrā ('against').
The word has been used since the 14th century and originally implied a meeting, often in a hostile manner. In modern usage, it can refer to any meeting.
Memory tip
Imagine running into a friend at the grocery store. That's an encounter!
Word Origin
"in (in, on) + contrā (against)"