encounternoun [ C ]
uk/ɪnˈkaʊn.tər/us/ɪnˈkaʊn.t̬ɚ/a meeting, especially one that happens by chance:
I had an alarming encounter with a wild pig.
This meeting will be the first encounter between the party leaders since the election.
an occasion when people have sex, usually with someone they have not met before
an occasion when two teams play against each other:
In their last encounter with Italy, England won 3–2.
More examples
- She has written a memoir of her encounters with W.H. Auden over the years.
- I had a bruising encounter with my ex-husband last week.
- I had a strange encounter with a French man on my way to work.
- She reported an interesting encounter with an ex-soldier.
- It was one of a number of amusing encounters last week.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Meeting people
- appointment
- conclave
- cross
- cross sb's path/cross paths with sb idiom
- deal
- gathering
- hello
- hook
- hook up
- how are things (with you)? idiom
- how do you do? idiom
- it's a date idiom
- known
- massed
- meet
- meeting point
- muster point
- rally
- run across sb
- tryst
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Competitions, & parts of competitions
encounterverb [ T ]
uk/ɪnˈkaʊn.tər/us/ɪnˈkaʊn.t̬ɚ/encounter verb [ T ] (MEET)
formal to meet someone unexpectedly:
On their way home they encountered a woman selling flowers.
More examples
- She was, he says, the most violent woman he had encountered in 13 years as an officer.
- As we left the memorial area we encountered a group of German students.
- The football fans that we encountered seemed harmless enough.
- On my way to the station I encountered a small child, begging.
- He was probably the most obnoxious person I've ever encountered.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Meeting people
- appointment
- conclave
- cross
- cross sb's path/cross paths with sb idiom
- deal
- gathering
- hello
- hook
- hook up
- how are things (with you)? idiom
- how do you do? idiom
- it's a date idiom
- known
- massed
- meet
- meeting point
- muster point
- rally
- run across sb
- tryst
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encounter verb [ T ] (EXPERIENCE)
B2 to experience something, especially something unpleasant:
When did you first encounter these difficulties?
The army is reported to be encountering considerable resistance.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Experiencing and suffering
- afflict
- affliction
- almost/nearly die of sth idiom
- be a martyr to sth idiom
- be a victim of your own success idiom
- be devoured by sth idiom
- get the short end of the stick idiom
- get/have your fingers burned idiom
- go through sth
- grip
- hands-on
- hold
- ride
- sample
- seat
- sense
- undergo
- underwent
- ups and downs
- writhe
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