encounter

encounter — verb

1. to see or meet someone by chance, when you had no expectation of seeing them

1.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to see or meet someone by chance, when you had no expectation of seeing them

Example

Eve encountered her old high school teacher while shopping at the weekend market.

encounter + person while [activity]

During his hike in the mountains, Tariq encountered a group of birdwatchers from Japan.

Common collocations
  • encounter someone by chance
  • encounter someone on the street
  • encounter an old friend
Synonyms
  • meet

    more general; can be planned or unplanned

  • run into

    informal; suggests complete surprise

  • come across

    can also be used for finding things, not just people

  • bump into

    very informal; implies physical closeness or chance

Antonyms
  • avoid

    to make an effort not to meet someone

  • miss

    to fail to meet someone by chance

Grammar Patterns

encounter + person

Usage Note

Common in narrative contexts to describe surprising or coincidental meetings. Normally used with a specific person or group as the object.

Common Mistakes

He encountered with his friend at the mall.
He encountered his friend at the mall.
'encounter' is transitive and does not take 'with' when used as a verb.

2. to find yourself facing a difficult or unwelcome situation, often while working

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to find yourself facing a difficult or unwelcome situation, often while working toward a goal

Example

The research team encountered unexpected technical problems during the final stage of the experiment.

encounter + technical problems / difficulties

Sven encountered strong resistance from local residents when he proposed the new housing plan.

Common collocations
  • encounter difficulties
  • encounter resistance
  • encounter problems
  • encounter opposition
  • encounter setbacks
Synonyms
  • face

    slightly more active; suggests confronting the issue directly

  • experience

    broader; can be positive or negative

  • meet with

    slightly more formal; common in business contexts

  • confront

    stronger; implies direct and deliberate facing of a problem

Antonyms
  • avoid

    to prevent a problem from arising

  • escape

    to get away from a difficult situation

Grammar Patterns

encounter + difficulty/problem/resistance

Usage Note

The object is almost always something negative or challenging — difficulty, resistance, opposition, problems, setbacks. Not used for positive experiences like joy or success.

Common Mistakes

We encountered a wonderful party last night.
We encountered a few problems at the party last night.
'encounter' describes facing something difficult or unexpected, not simply experiencing something pleasant.

encounter — noun

Word family

  • encountered
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

These verbs all describe situations where you meet someone, but they differ in formality and scope. 'Encounter' is the most formal of the group and is commonly used in written narratives and news reports. 'Run into' is an everyday phrasal verb that always implies surprise — you did not expect to see the person. 'Come across' can be used for both people and things, such as finding an old photograph while cleaning. 'Bump into' is very informal and suggests a physical near-collision, often used in casual conversation. 'Meet' is the broadest term and can describe anything from a planned appointment to a first introduction, so it lacks the specific sense of surprise that the other words carry. For example: 'I ran into my neighbor at the supermarket' (informal, surprised) versus 'I encountered my former boss at the conference' (more formal, narrative tone).

encounter ↗run into ↗come across ↗bump into ↗meet ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • chance encounter with
  • brief encounter with
  • encounter difficulties in
  • encounter problems when

Prepositions

Etymology

Late LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

From Middle English 'encountren', borrowed from Old French 'encontrer', meaning 'to meet face to face'. The Old French word comes from Late Latin 'incontrare' (to meet), formed from Latin 'in-' (in, upon) and 'contra' (against). The original sense of coming upon someone or something has expanded over time to include both pleasant and unpleasant meetings.