What does encounter mean?
Word: Encounter
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Encounter means to meet someone or something, often without expecting to, or to face a difficulty; as a noun, such a meeting.
Synonyms: meet, face, come across, confront
Antonyms: evade, escape
How do you spell encounter?
Syllables: en - coun - ter
Tricky part: The middle is spelt ou, as in count, and the ending is er, not or. Encownter and encountor are typical slips.
Watch out for: encownter, encountor, encuonter
Memory tip: When you encounter trouble, count to ten: the count sits right in the middle of the word.
Encounter in a sentence
Example 1: On the forest trail we encountered a family of langurs.
Example 2: Many students first encounter algebra in middle school.
Example 3: The ship encountered rough seas near the Andaman Islands.
Fun Fact
Encounter comes from Old French encontre, against. The counter in counterattack carries the same idea of against.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the word opposite in meaning to encounter as used in the sentence:
Hikers in the Western Ghats sometimes encounter thick mist on the higher paths after the monsoon rains.
a) spot
b) brave
c) avoid
d) tackle
Show answer
c) avoid. To encounter mist is to come upon it; to avoid it is to keep away from it. Spot, tackle and brave all involve meeting it.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is misspelt. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word.
1. countenance 2. incounter 3. accountant 4. pronounce
a) a person who keeps or checks money records
b) an unexpected meeting
c) to say a word in a particular way
d) a person's face or its expression
Show answer
b) an unexpected meeting. Incounter is wrong: the first two letters are e and n.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
At the book fair, Meena had a lucky ruotnecne with her favourite author, who signed her copy.
a) centaur
b) counter
c) encounter
d) contender
Show answer
c) encounter. All nine letters, with two n's and two e's, make encounter; counter is too short and contender needs a d.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A chance encounter is ____.
a) a friendly contest
b) an unplanned meeting
c) a heated argument
d) a booked appointment
Show answer
b) an unplanned meeting
2. A close encounter with a dolphin on a boat trip means ____.
a) seeing it at very close range
b) watching it on television
c) seeing it far across the bay
d) reading a book about it
Show answer
a) seeing it at very close range
