encounter

encounter — 動詞

  • encounterpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • encountershe / she / it
  • encounteredpast simple
  • encountering-ing form

1. to meet someone by chance when you did not expect or plan to see them

1.動詞及物B1
釋義

巧遇；偶然遇見

沒有約定而偶然相見

to meet someone by chance when you did not expect or plan to see them

例句

Yuna encountered her old piano teacher at the train station in Seoul.

Yuna 在首爾的火車站巧遇她以前的鋼琴老師。

encounter + person + at [place] for chance meetings

Diego was surprised to encounter a childhood friend at the business conference in Mexico City.

Diego 在墨西哥市的商務會議上意外遇見一位兒時朋友，感到很驚訝。

同義詞
  • bump into

    informal; suggests a very casual, accidental meeting

  • run into

    informal; similar to 'bump into', very common in everyday speech

  • come across

    can be used for people or things; slightly more formal than 'run into'

反義詞
  • avoid

    opposite in intent — you try not to meet the person

  • miss

    opposite in outcome — you fail to meet them

文法句型

encounter + person

passive: be encountered

用法筆記

The past-tense form 'encountered' is very common. This sense emphasises that the meeting was unplanned — do not use it for meetings you arranged in advance.

常見錯誤

❌She encountered her sister at the family dinner.
✅She saw her sister at the family dinner.
💡'Encounter' is for chance meetings, not planned family events.

2. to face or go through a difficult situation, problem, or unpleasant experience —

2.動詞及物B1
釋義

遭遇；碰到

經歷不愉快的事情或困難

to face or go through a difficult situation, problem, or unpleasant experience — for example, encountering technical problems, strong resistance, or a shortage of supplies

例句

The mountain rescue team encountered heavy snow and strong winds on the way up.

登山救援隊在途中遭遇了暴雪和強風。

encounter + harsh weather / natural obstacle

Priya encountered a lot of resistance when she tried to introduce the new software at work.

Priya 試圖在工作上導入新軟體時，遇到了很多阻力。

同義詞
  • face

    slightly more general; can be positive or negative

  • come up against

    emphasises the obstacle-like nature of what you meet

  • experience

    broader; can be used for any type of experience, good or bad

反義詞
  • avoid

    to stay away from a problem or difficulty

文法句型

encounter + problem/difficulty/obstacle

用法筆記

The object of this sense is almost always something negative — problems, difficulties, resistance, obstacles, setbacks. Do not use it for positive experiences.

常見錯誤

❌The children encountered a wonderful day at the beach.
✅The children had a wonderful day at the beach.
💡'Encounter' in this sense describes unpleasant or difficult experiences, not enjoyable ones.

3. to meet and fight or compete against an enemy, opponent, or rival in a situation

3.動詞及物B2
釋義

對陣；交鋒

與敵人或對手正面對抗

to meet and fight or compete against an enemy, opponent, or rival in a situation involving conflict or competition

例句

The basketball team will encounter their strongest rival in the championship final next week.

這支籃球隊將在冠軍決賽中對上他們最強的對手。

encounter + rival/opponent in competition context

The patrol encountered enemy soldiers near the border just after midnight.

巡邏隊在午夜過後於邊界附近遭遇敵軍。

同義詞
  • face

    less dramatic; suitable for everyday competition

  • confront

    stronger and more intentional; suggests direct opposition

  • meet

    neutral; the least dramatic of the alternatives

反義詞
  • avoid

    to stay away from an opponent or confrontation

文法句型

encounter + enemy/opponent/rival

用法筆記

This sense is more formal and dramatic than 'fight' or 'face'. It is common in news reports about military operations, sports previews, and political debates.

常見錯誤

❌I encountered my brother in a game of chess.' (fine if unplanned, but if arranged, use 'played against')
✅I played against my brother in a game of chess.
💡Use 'play against' for scheduled competitive events; 'encounter' suggests an unexpected meeting.

encounter — 名詞