SG Heritage Dictionary

Encounter [Noun] Webster's Dictionary 1828

1. A meeting, particularly a sudden or accidental meeting of two or more persons.

2. To shun th' encounter of the vulgar crowd.

3. A meeting in contest; a single combat, on a sudden meeting of parties; sometimes less properly, a duel.

4. A fight; a conflict; a skirmish; a battle; but more generally, a fight between a small number of men, or an accidental meeting and fighting of detachments, rather than a set battle or general engagement.

5. Eager and warm conversation, either in love or anger.

6. A sudden or unexpected address or accosting.

7. Occasion; casual incident. [Unusual.]

Encounter [Verb intransitive] Webster's Dictionary 1828

1. To meet face to face; to meet unexpectedly. [Little used.]

2. To rush together in combat; to fight; to conflict. Three armies encountered at Waterloo.

3. When applied to one party, it is sometimes followed by with; as, the christian army encountered with the Saracens.

4. To meet in opposition or debate.

Encounter [Verb transitive] Webster's Dictionary 1828

1. To meet face to face; particularly, to meet suddenly or unexpectedly.

2. [This sense is now uncommon, but still in use.]

3. To meet in opposition, or in a hostile manner; to rush against in conflict; to engage with in battle; as, two armies encounter each other.

4. To meet and strive to remove or surmount; as, to encounter obstacles, impediments or difficulties.

5. To meet and oppose; to resist; to attack and attempt to confute; as, to encounter the arguments of opponents. Acts 17:18 .

6. To meet as an obstacle. Which ever way the infidel turns, he encounters clear evidence of the divine origin of the scriptures.

7. To oppose; to oppugn.

8. To meet in mutual kindness. [Little used.]

Encounter [Adverb] Webster's Dictionary 1913

To come against face to face; to meet; to confront, either by chance, suddenly, or deliberately; especially, to meet in opposition or with hostile intent; to engage in conflict with; to oppose; to struggle with; as, to encounter a friend in traveling; two armies encounter each other; to encounter obstacles or difficulties, to encounter strong evidence of a truth.

Encounter [Verb intransitive] Webster's Dictionary 1913

To meet face to face; to have a meeting; to meet, esp. as enemies; to engage in combat; to fight; as, three armies encountered at Waterloo.

Encounter [Verb transitive] Webster's Dictionary 1913

1. A meeting face to face; a running against; a sudden or incidental meeting; an interview.

2. A meeting, with hostile purpose; hence, a combat; a battle; as, a bloody encounter.

Encountered [Participle passive] Webster's Dictionary 1828

Met face to face; met in opposition or hostility; opposed.

Encountered [Imperfect tense and past participle] Webster's Dictionary 1913

of Encounter

Encounterer [Noun] Webster's Dictionary 1828

One who encounters; an opponent; an antagonist.

Encounterer [Noun] Webster's Dictionary 1913

One who encounters; an opponent; an antagonist.

Encountering [Participle present tense] Webster's Dictionary 1828

Meeting; meeting in opposition, or in battle; opposing; resisting.

Encountering [Present participle and verbal noun] Webster's Dictionary 1913

of Encounter

Eventuality Roget’s Thesaurus §151

N. eventuality, event, occurrence, incident, affair, matter, thing, episode, happening, proceeding, contingency, juncture, experience, fact, matter of fact, naked fact, bare facts, just the facts, phenomenon, advent, business, concern, transaction, dealing, proceeding, circumstance, particular, casualty, accident, adventure, passage, crisis, pass, emergency, contingency, consequence, opportunity (occasion) 143, the world, life, things, doings, affairs in general, things in general, affairs in general, the times, state of affairs, order of the day, course of things, tide of things, stream of things, current of things, run of things, march of things, course of events, ups and downs of life, vicissitudes of life, chapter of accidents, situation

V. happen, occur, take place, take effect, come, become of, come off, comeabout, come round, come into existence, come forth, come to pass, come on, pass, present itself, fall, fall out, turn out, run, be on foot, fall in, befall, betide, bechance, prove, eventuate, draw on, turn up, crop up, spring up, pop up, arise, show up, show its face, appear, come forth, cast up, supervene, survene, issue, arrive, ensue, arise, start, hold, take its course, pass off, meet with, experience, enjoy, encounter, undergo, suffer, pass through, go through, be subjected to, be exposed to, fall to the lot of, be one's chance, be one's fortune, be one's lot, find, endure

Adj. happening, going on, doing, current, in the wind, in the air, afloat, on foot, afoot, on the tapis, at issue, in question, incidental, eventful, stirring, bustling, full of incident, memorable, momentous, signal

Adv. eventually, in the event of, in case, just in case, in the course of things, as things, times go, as the world goes, wags, as the tree falls, cat jumps, as it may turn out, happen

Phr. that's the way the ball bounces, that's the way the cookie crumbles, you never know what may turn up, you never know what the future will bring, the plot thickens, "breasts the blows of circumstance", "so runs round of life from hour to hour" "sprinkled along the waste of years", future events

Impulse Roget’s Thesaurus §276

N. impulse, impulsion, impetus, momentum, push, pulsion, thrust, shove, jog, jolt, brunt, booming, boost, throw, explosion, propulsion, percussion, concussion, collision, occursion|, clash, encounter, cannon, carambole, appulse, shock, crash, bump, impact, elan, charge, beating, blow, dint, stroke, knock, tap, rap, slap, smack, pat, dab, fillip, slam, bang, hit, whack, thwack, cuff, squash, dowse, swap, whap, punch, thump, pelt, kick, punce|, calcitration, ruade, arietation|, cut, thrust, lunge, yerk|, carom, carrom, clip *, jab, plug*, sidewinder*, sidewipe, sideswipe, hammer, sledge hammer, mall, maul, mallet, flail, ram, rammer, battering ram, monkey, pile-driving engine, punch, bat, cant hook, cudgel, ax, dynamics, seismometer, accelerometer, earthquake detector

V. give an impetus, impel, push, start, give a start to, set going, drive, urge, boom, thrust, prod, foin, cant, elbow, shoulder, jostle, justle, hustle, hurtle, shove, jog, jolt, encounter, run against, bump against, butt against, knock one's head against, run one's head against, impinge, boost, bunt, carom, clip y, fan, fan out, jab, plug *, strike, knock, hit, tap, rap, slap, flap, dab, pat, thump, beat, blow, bang, slam, dash, punch, thwack, whack, hit hard, strike hard, swap, batter, dowse|, baste, pelt, patter, buffet, belabor, fetch one a blow, poke at, pink, lunge, yerk, kick, calcitrate, butt, strike at, whip *c, (punish) 972, come into a collision, enter into collision, collide, sideswipe, foul, fall foul of, run foul of, telescope, throw

Adj. impelling, impulsive, impellent, booming, dynamic, dynamical, impelled

Phr. "a hit, a very palpable hit"

Arrival Roget’s Thesaurus §292

N. arrival, advent, landing, # debarkation, disembarkation, reception, welcome, vin d'honneur, home, goal, goalpost, landing place, landing stage, bunder, resting place, destination, harbor, haven, port, airport, spaceport, terminus, halting place, halting ground, landing strip, runway, terminal, journey's end, anchorage, return, remigration, meeting, rencounter, encounter, completion, recursion

V. arrive, get to, come to, come, reach, attain, come up with, come up to, overtake, make, fetch, complete, join, rejoin, light, alight, dismount, land, go ashore, debark, disembark, put in, put into, visit, cast anchor, pitch one's tent, sit down, get to one's journey's end, make the land, be in at the death, come back, get back, come home, get home, return, come in, make one's appearance, drop in, detrain, deplane, outspan, de-orbit, come to hand, come at, come across, hit, come upon, light upon, pop upon, bounce upon, plump upon, burst upon, pitch upon, meet, encounter, rencounter, come in contact

Adj. arriving, homeward bound

Adv. here, hither

Phr. any port in a storm

Int. welcome, hail, all hail, good-day, good morrow

Opposition Roget’s Thesaurus §708

N. n, opposition, antagonism, oppugnancy, oppugnation, impugnation|, contrariety, contravention, counteraction, counterplot, cross fire, undercurrent, head wind, clashing, collision, conflict, competition, two of a trade, rivalry, emulation, race, absence of aid, resistance, restraint, hindrance

V. oppose, counteract, run counter to, withstand, control, hinder, antagonize, oppugn, fly in the face of, go dead against, kick against, fall afoul of, run afoul of, set against, pit against, face, confront, cope with, make a stand, make a dead set against, set oneself against, set one's face against, protest against, vote against, raise one's voice against, disfavor, turn one's back upon, set at naught, slap in the face, slam the door in one's face, be at cross purposes, play at cross purposes, counterwork, countermine, thwart, overthwart, work against, undermine, stem, breast, encounter, stem the tide, breast the tide, stem the current, stem the flood, buffet the waves, beat up against, make head against, grapple with, kick against the pricks, contend, do battle -with, do battle against, contradict, contravene, belie, go against, run against, beat against, militate against, come in conflict with, emulate, rival, spoil one's trade

Adj. opposing, opposed, adverse, antagonistic, contrary, at variance, at issue, at war with, unfavorable, unfriendly, hostile, inimical, cross, unpropitious, in hostile array, front to front, with crossed bayonets, at daggers drawn, up in arms, resistant, competitive, emulous

Adv. against, versus, counter to, in conflict with, at cross purposes, against the grain, against the current, against the stream, against the wind, against the tide, with a headwind, with the wind ahead, with the wind in one's teeth, in spite, in despite, in defiance, in the way, in the teeth of, in the face of, across, athwart, overthwart, where the shoe pinches, in spite of one's teeth, though, even, quand meme, per contra

Phr. nitor in adversum

Contention Roget’s Thesaurus §720

N. contention, strife, contest, contestation, struggle, belligerency, opposition, controversy, polemics, debate, war of words, logomachy, litigation, paper war, high words, sparring, competition, rivalry, corrivalry, corrivalship, agonism|, concours, match, race, horse racing, heat, steeple chase, handicap, regatta, field day, sham fight, derby day, turf, sporting, bullfight, tauromachy, gymkhana, boat race, torpids, wrestling, greco-roman wrestling, pugilism, boxing, fisticuffs, the manly art of self-defense, spar, mill, set-to, round, bout, event, prize fighting, quarterstaff, single stick, gladiatorship, gymnastics, jiujitsu, jujutsu, kooshti, sumo, athletics, athletic sports, games of skill, shindy, fracas, clash of arms, tussle, scuffle, broil, fray, affray, affrayment|, velitation|, colluctation|, luctation, brabble, brigue|, scramble, melee, scrimmage, stramash, bushfighting, free fight, stand up fight, hand to hand, running fight, conflict, skirmish, rencounter, encounter, rencontre, collision, affair, brush, fight, battle, battle royal, combat, action, engagement, joust, tournament, tilt, tilting, tournay, list, pitched battle, death struggle, struggle for life or death, life or death struggle, armageddon, hard knocks, sharp contest, tug of war, naval engagement, naumachia, sea fight, duel, duello, single combat, monomachy, satisfaction, passage d'armes, passage of arms, affair of honor, triangular duel, hostile meeting, digladiation, deeds of arms, feats of arms, appeal to arms, pugnacity, combativeness, bone of contention

V. contend, contest, strive, struggle, scramble, wrestle, spar, square, exchange blows, exchange fisticuffs, fib|, justle, tussle, tilt, box, stave, fence, skirmish, pickeer, fight, wrangle, contend &c. with, grapple with, engage with, close with, buckle with, bandy with, try conclusions with, have a brush, with, tilt with, encounter, fall foul of, pitch into, clapperclaw, run a tilt at, oppose, reluct, join issue, come to blows, go to loggerheads, set to, come to the scratch, exchange shots, measure swords, meet hand to hand, take up the cudgels, take up the glove, take up the gauntlet, enter the lists, couch one's lance, give satisfaction, appeal to arms, lay about one, break the peace, compete with, cope with, vie with, race with, outvie, emulate, rival, run a race, contend &c. for, stipulate for, stickle for, insist upon, make a point of

Adj. contending, together by the ears, at loggerheads at war at issue, competitive, rival, belligerent, contentious, combative, bellicose, unpeaceful, warlike, quarrelsome, pugnacious, pugilistic, gladiatorial, palestric, palestrical

Phr. a verbis ad verbera, a word and a blow, "a very pretty quarrel as it stands", commune periculum concordiam parit, lis litem generat

King James Bible KJV Bible

Berean Standard Bible BSB Bible

3 KJV and 14 BSB verses contain “encounter”

Exodus 18:8

And Moses told his father in law all that the LORD had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, and all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how the LORD delivered them.

Then Moses recounted to his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardships they had encountered along the way, and how the LORD had delivered them.

Exodus 23:4

If thou meet thine enemy’s ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.

If you encounter your enemy’s stray ox or donkey, you must return it to him.

Exodus 23:27

I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee.

I will send My terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn and run.

Deuteronomy 22:23

If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her;

If there is a virgin pledged in marriage to a man, and another man encounters her in the city and sleeps with her,

Deuteronomy 22:25

But if a man find a betrothed damsel in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her: then the man only that lay with her shall die:

But if the man encounters a betrothed woman in the open country, and he overpowers her and lies with her, only the man who has done this must die.

Deuteronomy 22:28

If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found;

If a man encounters a virgin who is not pledged in marriage, and he seizes her and lies with her, and they are discovered,

Job 5:14

They meet with darkness in the daytime, and grope in the noonday as in the night.

They encounter darkness by day and grope at noon as in the night.

Song of Solomon 3:3

The watchmen that go about the city found me: to whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth?

I encountered the watchmen on their rounds of the city: “Have you seen the one I love?”

Song of Solomon 5:7

The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me.

I encountered the watchmen on their rounds of the city. They beat me and bruised me; they took away my cloak, those guardians of the walls.

Jeremiah 41:6

And Ishmael the son of Nethaniah went forth from Mizpah to meet them, weeping all along as he went: and it came to pass, as he met them, he said unto them, Come to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam.

And Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he went. When Ishmael encountered the men, he said, “Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam.”

Amos 5:19

As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.

It will be like a man who flees from a lion, only to encounter a bear, or who enters his house and rests his hand against the wall, only to be bitten by a snake.

Acts 17:18

Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.

Some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others said, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was proclaiming the good news of Jesus and the resurrection.

2 Corinthians 1:8

For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:

We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the hardships we encountered in the province of Asia. We were under a burden far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.

Philippians 1:30

Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.

since you are encountering the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.

James 1:2

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds,

2 Maccabees 5:3

And troops of horsemen in array, encountering and running one against another, with shaking of shields, and multitude of pikes, and drawing of swords, and casting of darts, and glittering of golden ornaments, and harness of all sorts.

2 Maccabees 15:26

But Judas and his company encountered the enemies with invocation and prayer.