collide with

IPA/kəlˈaɪd wɪð/
IPA/kəlˈaɪd wɪð/

collide with — phrasal verb

  • collide withbase form
  • collides with3rd person singular
  • colliding with-ing form
  • collided withpast simple

1. to crash into a person or object while in motion, usually with enough force to c

1.phrasal verbintransitiveB2
Definition

to crash into a person or object while in motion, usually with enough force to cause harm or damage

Example

A delivery van skidded on the wet road and collided with a parked car.

collided with + [vehicle/object], passive event

Eve collided with another runner who suddenly stepped into her lane on the track.

person collides with person while moving

Common collocations
  • collide with a car / truck / bus
  • collide with a cyclist / pedestrian
  • collide with a wall / tree / barrier
  • nearly collide with
  • collide head-on with
Synonyms
  • crash into

    more emotional/dramatic; common in news reports

  • smash into

    implies greater speed and destruction

  • hit

    more general; can describe any degree of contact, not necessarily while moving

Grammar Patterns

[subject] + collide with + [person/vehicle/object]

[two subjects] + collide (with each other)

Usage Note

The subject and the object of 'collide with' are usually both moving, but the object can also be stationary (e.g. a wall, a parked car). The verb 'collide' on its own can describe two things hitting each other: 'The two cars collided.'

Common Mistakes

The car collided to a tree.
The car collided with a tree.
after 'collide', use 'with', not 'to'.
He collided me in the hallway.
He collided with me in the hallway.
'collide' is intransitive; you must say 'collide with someone'.

Synonym discussion

Sense: phrasal verb/1

'Collide with' suggests two objects in motion hitting each other, often with considerable force. 'Crash into' is more dramatic and is frequently used in news reports about vehicle accidents ('A bus crashed into a shop window'). 'Smash into' implies very high speed and heavy destruction ('The train smashed into the barrier'). 'Hit' is the most general term — it can describe light contact or forceful impact and works whether the object is moving or stationary ('The ball hit the window'). 'Bump into' is much gentler and often accidental ('She bumped into the table in the dark'). Use 'collide with' when you want a neutral, factual description of two moving things hitting each other.

crash into ↗smash intohit ↗bump into ↗

Etymology

LatinEnglish

'Collide' comes from the Latin word 'collidere', meaning 'to strike together', formed from 'com-' (together) and 'laedere' (to strike, hurt). The preposition 'with' was added later to specify what is being struck.