collide
gb/kəlˈaɪd/ us/kəlˈaɪd/
B2
English
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B2
action
1
crash into something
If one thing collides with another, it hits it hard by accident.
Usage pattern:
[something] collides with [something]
Common mistake:
Use 'collide with' (not usually 'collide to/into' in standard English).
Synonyms
crash (More common and less formal; can also mean the vehicle itself has an accident.)
|
slam into (Emphasizes suddenness and force.)
Antonyms
avoid (Not hitting something because you steer away or prevent contact.)
Collocations
collide with a car
|collide with a truck
|collide with a wall
|collide with a tree
|collide with another vehicle
|collide at an intersection
|collide on the highway
|collide on impact
|collide at speed
|collide during the race
Themes
transport
|accidents
|daily_life
Examples
- The bus collided with a car at the junction.
- He lost control and collided with a barrier.
- Two cyclists collided with a parked van in heavy rain.
Learner examples
- The car collided with a tree.
- The two bikes collided.
Verb
B2
event
2
crash into each other
If two moving things collide, they crash into each other.
Usage pattern:
[two or more things] collide
Common mistake:
In this meaning, 'collide' can be used without an object: 'Two cars collided.'
Synonyms
crash (Often used for vehicles; may not explicitly state 'into each other' unless added.)
|
smash together (Stronger and more dramatic; focuses on the result.)
Antonyms
miss (Passing without contact.)
Collocations
two cars collided
|vehicles collided
|trains collided
|ships collided
|planes collided
|players collided
|collide in the tunnel
|collide on the track
|collide during practice
|collide at the corner
Themes
transport
|accidents
|sports
Examples
- Two trains collided just outside the station.
- The players collided and both fell to the ground.
- Several boats collided in thick fog.
Learner examples
- Two cars collided on the road.
Verb
C1
relation
3
conflict strongly
If two ideas or plans collide, they disagree and cannot both work.
Usage pattern:
[idea/plan/interest] collides with [idea/plan/interest]
Common mistake:
Don't use it for small disagreements; it usually suggests a serious conflict.
Synonyms
clash (Very common for disagreement; can sound slightly less technical.)
|
conflict (More general; often used in formal writing.)
Antonyms
align (Agreeing or fitting well together.)
|
coincide (Matching or happening together without conflict.)
Collocations
collide with reality
|collide with tradition
|collide with policy
|collide with the law
|collide with his beliefs
|values collide
|interests collide
|plans collide
|collide head-on with
|collide with each other
Themes
communication
|work
|society
Examples
- Her personal values collided with the company’s culture.
- Their plans collided, and neither was willing to change.
- Freedom of speech can collide with concerns about public safety.
Learner examples
- My plan collided with his plan.
Verb
C1
relation
4
overlap in time
If two events collide, they are scheduled for the same time and you cannot do both.
Usage pattern:
[event/appointment] collides with [event/appointment]
Common mistake:
For neutral scheduling, 'overlap' is often more natural; 'collide' suggests the overlap causes trouble.
Synonyms
overlap (More neutral; does not necessarily imply a problem.)
|
conflict (Common in scheduling: 'My meeting conflicts with yours.')
Antonyms
fit (Being able to be arranged without conflict.)
Collocations
meetings collide
|dates collide
|schedules collide
|appointments collide
|collide with my exam
|collide with the wedding
|collide with work
|collide with school
|collide with another event
|collide with a deadline
Themes
time
|work
|daily_life
Examples
- My dentist appointment collides with a work meeting.
- The conference dates collided with school holidays.
- Two major events collided, stretching the city’s resources.
Learner examples
- My class collides with my shift.
Verb
technical
C1
event
5
particles hit each other
In science, when particles collide, they hit each other and interact.
Usage pattern:
[particles/bodies] collide (with [particles/bodies])
Common mistake:
In scientific contexts, 'collide' is used even when the objects are very small or the interaction is indirect.
Synonyms
impact (Often used as a noun; as a verb it is more general and less common in physics explanations.)
|
strike (More general; less technical than 'collide' for particle interactions.)
Antonyms
separate (Moving apart rather than coming together to interact.)
Collocations
particles collide
|atoms collide
|molecules collide
|protons collide
|collide at high speed
|collide at high energy
|collide in an accelerator
|collide elastically
|collide in a vacuum
|collide with each other
Themes
science
|physics
|education
Examples
- In the experiment, protons collide at nearly the speed of light.
- Gas pressure increases when molecules collide more often with the walls of the container.
- The model predicts what happens when two particles collide.
Learner examples
- In physics, particles can collide.
Grammar
Dictionary form
collide
IPA
GB/kəlˈaɪd/
US/kəlˈaɪd/
Syllables & stress
col - lide (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (lide)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: collide
- 3rd Person Singular: collides
- Present Participle: colliding
- Past: collided
Word family
Expressions
collide head-on
1/kəlˈaɪd hˈɛd ˈɔn/
fixed phrase
crash front to front
If two vehicles collide head-on, their fronts hit each other.
Examples
- The two cars collided head-on on a narrow road.
- A truck and a bus collided head-on in the early morning.
- They narrowly avoided colliding head-on with an oncoming vehicle.
collide with
1/kəlˈaɪd wˈɪθ/
fixed phrase
hit something accidentally
Use 'collide with' to say what you hit.
Examples
- The van collided with a taxi at the lights.
- A cyclist collided with a pedestrian on the path.
- The ship collided with a rock near the coast.
collide with each other
1/kəlˈaɪd wˈɪθ ˈit͡ʃ ˈʌðɚ/
fixed phrase
crash into one another
It means they crash into one another.
Examples
- In the final lap, two riders collided with each other.
- The boats collided with each other in the strong current.
- The children ran around the corner and collided with each other.
collide with reality
1/kəlˈaɪd wˈɪθ ɹiˈæləti/
idiom
meet facts and fail
Your plan meets the real facts, and you see it won’t work.
Examples
- His dream of starting a business collided with reality when the money ran out.
- The project’s optimistic timeline collided with reality after the first round of testing.
- Their holiday plans collided with reality when the flights were cancelled.