EN

Synonyms for encounter

  • verb
  • noun

Most common

run across experience meet come across find chance take on

Synonyms by meaning

Verb

1. Run across

run across, experience, meet, come across, come upon, engage, meet with, confront, face, see, run into, go through, run, run up against, fall upon, front

2. Bump

find, chance, happen, bump US

3. Take on

take on, play

Other

contend, assail, gather, receive, cross paths

Noun

1. Clash — A hostile, often violent meeting; a confrontation, skirmish, or clash, as between combatants

clash, skirmish, confrontation, conflict, brush, action, battle, fight, face-off, combat, collision, showdown, engagement, contest, concussion, percussion, shock dated

Other

meeting, onslaught, set-to informal, tilt, rencontre dated UK, rencounter US

Antonyms

evade

All antonyms of encounter →

Definitions

  1. v. 1

    To meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly.

  2. v. 2

    To confront (someone or something) face to face.

  3. v. 3

    To meet one another.

  4. n. 1

    A hostile, often violent meeting; a confrontation, skirmish, or clash, as between combatants.

Forms

Plural
encounters → clashes, skirmishes, confrontations, conflicts…
Past participle
encountered
e.g. encountered → experienced, engaged, confronted, faced…

Choose the right word

Encounter, Charge, Combat or Attacking?

Armies or squadrons charge; combat and encounter may be said of individual contests. To encounter is to meet face to face, and may be said either of the attacking or of the resisting force or person, or of both.

J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)

Example sentences

  • engage I'd like to engage in foreign trade in the future.
  • confront I think it's time for me to confront that problem.
  • receive It'll be two weeks before you receive the article.

Popularity over time

Word1850 → 2019Trend
encounterrising
engagerising
confrontrising
receivesteady

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

3 letters
see1, run1
4 letters
find1, play1, face1, meet1, bump1, tilt1
5 letters
front1, fight1, shock1, brush1, clash1
6 letters
chance1, happen2, action2, battle2, combat2, engage2, gather2, assail2
7 letters
meeting2, receive2, contest2, contend2
8 letters
conflict2, confront2, showdown2, skirmish2
9 letters
collision3, onslaught2, rencontre
10 letters
experience4, engagement3, concussion3, percussion3, rencounter
13 letters
confrontation4

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (happen2 = 2 syllables).