Thesaurus
Synonyms & Antonyms of encounter
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
to come upon face-to-face or as if face-to-face
- quite unexpectedly encountered our next-door neighbor while vacationing in Europe
Synonyms for encounter
Words Related to encounter
Phrases Synonymous with encounter
Near Antonyms for encounter
2
to come upon unexpectedly or by chance
- we encountered a host of unforeseen problems during the restoration of our 200-year-old house
Synonyms for encounter
Words Related to encounter
Phrases Synonymous with encounter
3
to enter into contest or conflict with
- the troops encountered bands of guerrilla fighters as they made their way across the desert
Synonyms for encounter
Words Related to encounter
Near Antonyms for encounter
encounter
noun
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on encounter
What made you want to look up encounter? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Slippery Words Quiz—Changing with the Times
- What is an earlier meaning of nice?
Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Spell words. Make bears.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
Share encounter
Time Traveler for encounter
The first known use of encounter was in the 14th century
See more words from the same century