Encountered — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb /in-ˈkau̇n-tər/ (verb) /(ˌ)rē-in-ˈkau̇n-tər/ (verb) en·coun·ter

Meaning & Definition of Encountered

Encountered (verb)

  1. to meet as an adversary or enemy
  2. to engage in conflict with
  3. to come upon face-to-face
  4. to encounter (someone or something) again

Encountered (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to come upon face-to-face or as if face-to-face

    "quite unexpectedly encountered our next-door neighbor while vacationing in Europe"

    similar: caught, chanced (upon), happened (upon), met, stumbled (upon), bumped into, crossed paths (with), ran across, ran into, ran upon
    related: accosted, confronted, faced, greeted, saluted, collided (with), crashed (into), crisscrossed, crossed, passed, hit (upon), lit (upon), tumbled (to), reencountered, remet
    near: avoided, dodged, ducked, eluded, escaped, evaded, shook, shunned

  2. to come upon unexpectedly or by chance

    "we encountered a host of unforeseen problems during the restoration of our 200-year-old house"

    similar: chanced (upon), found, happened (on or upon), hit (upon), lit (on or upon), met, pitched (upon), stumbled (on or onto), tumbled (upon), bumped into, came across, ran across, ran against, ran into, ran upon
    related: lucked (out, on, onto, or into), confronted, faced, discovered, struck, turned up

  3. to enter into contest or conflict with

    "the troops encountered bands of guerrilla fighters as they made their way across the desert"

    similar: battled, engaged, faced, met, took on
    related: emulated, rivaled, contended, fought, opposed
    near: eluded, escaped, evaded, retreated

Related Entry: Encounter (verb)

Encounter is a different word from Encountered. The synonyms below are for encounter, not for encountered.

  1. to come upon face-to-face or as if face-to-face

    "quite unexpectedly encountered our next-door neighbor while vacationing in Europe"

    similar: catch, chance (upon), happen (upon), meet, stumble (upon), bump into, cross paths (with), run across, run into, run upon
    related: accost, confront, face, greet, salute, collide (with), crash (into), crisscross, cross, pass, hit (upon), light (upon), tumble (to), reencounter, remeet
    near: avoid, dodge, duck, elude, escape, evade, shake, shun

  2. to come upon unexpectedly or by chance

    "we encountered a host of unforeseen problems during the restoration of our 200-year-old house"

    similar: chance (upon), find, happen (on or upon), hit (upon), light (on or upon), meet, pitch (upon), stumble (on or onto), tumble (upon), bump into, come across, run across, run against, run into, run upon
    related: luck (out, on, onto, or into), confront, face, discover, strike, turn up

  3. to enter into contest or conflict with

    "the troops encountered bands of guerrilla fighters as they made their way across the desert"

    similar: battle, engage, face, meet, take on
    related: emulate, rival, contend, fight, oppose
    near: elude, escape, evade, retreat

Related Entry: Reencountered (verb)

Reencountered is a different word from Encountered. The synonyms below are for reencountered, not for encountered.

  1. as in remet

    similar: remet, hit (upon), lit (upon), tumbled (to), crisscrossed, crossed, passed, collided (with), crashed (into), faced, greeted, saluted, accosted, confronted, caught, chanced (upon), encountered, happened (upon), met, stumbled (upon)
    opposite: avoided, dodged, ducked, eluded, escaped, evaded, shook, shunned

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Encountered

The most common words with a similar meaning to Encountered:

caught, chanced (upon), happened (upon), met, stumbled (upon), found, happened (on or upon), hit (upon), lit (on or upon), pitched (upon), stumbled (on or onto), tumbled (upon), battled, engaged, faced, took on, bumped into, crossed paths (with), ran across, ran into, ran upon, came across, ran against

Related Words for Encountered

accosted, confronted, greeted, saluted, collided (with), crashed (into), crisscrossed, crossed, passed, lit (upon), tumbled (to), reencountered, remet, lucked (out, on, onto, or into), discovered, struck, turned up, emulated, rivaled, contended, fought, opposed

Near Antonyms of Encountered

avoided, dodged, ducked, eluded, escaped, evaded, shook, shunned, retreated

Word Forms of Encountered

Inflections: encountering, reencountered, re-encountered, reencountering, re-encountering

Derived words: reencounter (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Encountered

Middle English encountren, from Anglo-French encuntrer, from Medieval Latin incontrare, from Late Latin incontra toward, from Latin in- + contra against counter

First known use: 14th centuryt

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Encountered

Frequently Asked Questions about Encountered

What does "Encountered" mean?

"Encountered" means to meet as an adversary or enemy. As a verb, it is defined as: to meet as an adversary or enemy. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Encountered"?

Other words for "Encountered" include caught, chanced (upon), happened (upon), met, stumbled (upon), found, happened (on or upon) and hit (upon). The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Encountered" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Encountered"?

There are 45 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Encountered". Common alternatives include caught, chanced (upon), happened (upon), met, stumbled (upon), found, happened (on or upon), hit (upon), lit (on or upon) and pitched (upon).

How do you use "Encountered" in a sentence?

Examples of "Encountered" in a sentence: "quite unexpectedly encountered our next-door neighbor while vacationing in Europe"; "we encountered a host of unforeseen problems during the restoration of our 200-year-old house"; "the troops encountered bands of guerrilla fighters as they made their way across the desert".

Is "Encountered" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Encountered" is a verb.

Is "Encountered" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

It is on the Academic Word List, so it appears often in IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, and university texts.

How do you pronounce "Encountered"?

"Encountered" is pronounced /in-ˈkau̇n-tər/ as a verb and /(ˌ)rē-in-ˈkau̇n-tər/ as a verb and divided into syllables as en·coun·ter.

What is the origin of the word "Encountered"?

"Encountered" comes from Middle English encountren, from Anglo-French encuntrer, from Medieval Latin incontrare, from Late Latin incontra toward, from Latin in- + contra against counter. First known use: 14th centuryt.