encounter
gb/ɪŋkˈaʊntɚ/ us/ɪŋkˈaʊntɚ/
B1
English
~ 3000
összefut, rábukkan, szembesül, problémába ütközik, találkozás, összefutás, összecsapás, mérkőzés, összetűzés
VERB
B1
1
Usage pattern:
to encounter [someone/something]
I encountered an old friend at the train station.
Összefutottam egy régi barátommal a vasútállomáson.
During our hike, we encountered a wild deer.
A túra során egy vadon élő szarvasra bukkantunk.
She encountered several obstacles while starting her business.
We unexpectedly encountered the mayor at the café.
He encountered trouble when applying for the visa.
Learner examples
I encountered my teacher in the park.
Összefutottam a tanárommal a parkban.
We encountered a dog on our walk.
Séta közben összefutottunk egy kutyával.
She encountered a problem with her phone.
They encountered a big storm on their trip.
I encountered a new word in the book.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'encounter' with 'meet' in planned situations; 'encounter' is mostly used for unexpected or challenging situations.
Meaning
Meet by chance
Collocations
encounter a problem
|encounter difficulties
|encounter resistance
|encounter someone
|encounter danger
Synonyms
meet (A more general term for coming together, not necessarily unexpectedly.)
Antonyms
avoid (To keep away from meeting or facing someone or something.)
Themes
daily life
|travel
|relationships
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To see or meet a person or thing by surprise.
To meet someone or something unexpectedly or without planning.
VERB
B1
2
szembesül
B2
Usage pattern:
to encounter [problem/difficulty/challenge]
The project encountered several technical problems.
A projekt több technikai problémába ütközött.
Students often encounter stress during exams.
A diákok gyakran szembesülnek stresszel a vizsgák alatt.
We encountered strong opposition to our plan.
New businesses often encounter financial challenges.
She encountered unexpected delays at the airport.
Learner examples
I encountered a problem at work.
A munkahelyemen egy problémával szembesültem.
They encountered many problems on the trip.
Sok problémába ütköztek az út során.
He encountered some bad weather yesterday.
We encountered a big challenge in the game.
She encountered many questions in the test.
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse 'meet' instead of 'encounter' when talking about problems; 'meet' sounds unnatural for difficulties.
Meaning
Face or deal with difficulty
Collocations
encounter difficulties
|encounter resistance
|encounter obstacles
Synonyms
face (More common and slightly broader; can be used for both expected and unexpected situations.)
Antonyms
overcome (To successfully deal with or get past a problem.)
Themes
work
|education
|life challenges
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To have a problem or difficult situation happen to you.
To experience or be confronted with something, especially a problem or challenge.
NOUN
B1
3
találkozás
A2
összefutás
B2
My first encounter with snow was magical.
A hóval való első találkozásom varázslatos volt.
We had a brief encounter in the hallway.
Rövid találkozásunk volt a folyosón.
The book describes his encounters with wild animals.
It was an unforgettable encounter with history.
She told me about her strange encounter at the market.
Learner examples
I had an encounter with my old friend.
Véletlenül összefutottam egy régi barátommal.
We had a short encounter at the bus stop.
Röviden találkoztunk a buszmegállóban.
He told me about his encounter with a snake.
Our first encounter was at school.
The movie shows his encounter with aliens.
Common mistake:
Some learners use 'meeting' when they mean 'encounter', but 'meeting' often suggests planning.
Meaning
Unexpected meeting or experience
Collocations
brief encounter
|close encounter
|first encounter
Synonyms
meeting (More general and often planned, whereas 'encounter' implies chance or surprise.)
Antonyms
parting (The act of leaving someone rather than meeting them.)
Themes
daily life
|travel
|relationships
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A short meeting with a person or experience that happens by surprise.
An occasion when you meet someone or experience something unexpectedly.
NOUN
B2
4
The soldiers described their encounter with enemy forces.
A katonák beszámoltak az ellenséges erőkkel vívott összecsapásukról.
The two teams are preparing for their next encounter.
A két csapat a következő egymás elleni összecsapására készül.
He was injured during a violent encounter in the street.
The book recounts several encounters between rival gangs.
Their last encounter ended in a draw.
Learner examples
The two teams had their first encounter yesterday.
A két csapat tegnap vívta az első egymás elleni összecsapását.
The police had an encounter with the robbers.
A rendőrök összecsaptak a rablókkal.
They wrote about their encounter in the war.
It was a hard encounter between the two players.
The story tells of an encounter between two armies.
Meaning
Instance of conflict or competition
Collocations
military encounter
|violent encounter
|sports encounter
Synonyms
clash (Implies more intensity and hostility than 'encounter'.)
Antonyms
truce (An agreement to stop fighting, opposite of a conflict.)
Themes
sports
|military
|law
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A short fight or game between two people or groups.
A short fight, contest, or conflict between opposing sides.
Grammar
Dictionary form
encounter
IPA
GB/ɪŋkˈaʊntɚ/
US/ɪŋkˈaʊntɚ/
Syllables & stress
en - counter (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (counter)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: encounter
- Plural: encounters
Verb
- Base: encounter
- 3rd Person Singular: encounters
- Present Participle: encountering
- Past: encountered
Word family
Forms
encounters
noun
encountering
verb
encountered
verb
Expressions
chance encounter
1/t͡ʃˈæns ɪŋkˈaʊntɚ/
fixed phrase
Unplanned meeting by chance
A meeting that happens without planning it.
Examples
- Their friendship began after a chance encounter at the airport.
- A chance encounter led to her getting the job.
close encounter
1/klˈoʊs ɪŋkˈaʊntɚ/
fixed phrase
Unexpected dangerous meeting
An event where you meet something dangerous or strange, often very near you.
Examples
- We had a close encounter with a bear while hiking.
- The astronauts reported a close encounter with space debris.
first encounter
1/fˈɚst ɪŋkˈaʊntɚ/
fixed phrase
First time meeting or experiencing something
The first time you meet someone or experience something.
Examples
- My first encounter with sushi was in Japan.
- Their first encounter was at a conference.