encountered
Ran into unexpectedly
Encountered is the past tense of encounter, meaning to come upon or meet, often unexpectedly.
You might have encountered an old friend at the store or encountered resistance to your proposal.
The word suggests meeting something in your path rather than seeking it out: We encountered several problems during installation.
Accidental fortunate discovery
- coincidenceUnplanned matching of events
- fortuitousHappening by lucky chance
- unexpectedNot anticipated beforehand
- randomOccurring without pattern
unplanned · accidental · happenstance · fluke · surprise · unforeseen · spontaneous · luck
Discovered or established
- stumbledLost balance while walking
- uncoveredMade visible or known
- discoveredFound something previously unknown
- revelationSurprising disclosed truth
realization · insight · learning · observation · awareness · noticed · detected · recognized
Test of ability
- oppositionActive resistance or dissent
- conflictOpposition between parties
- clashViolent disagreement or collision
- standoffUnresolved confrontation between opponents
showdown · face-off · dispute · struggle · resistance · hostility · antagonism · friction
Mind's retention capacity
- impressionEffect on the mind
- recollectionRecalled mental image
- sensationPerceived stimulus or phenomenon
- perceptionMental interpretation of stimuli
moment · interaction · episode · event · occurrence · incident · situation · circumstance
serendipity
Accidental fortunate discovery
- coincidenceUnplanned matching of events
- fortuitousHappening by lucky chance
- unexpectedNot anticipated beforehand
random · unplanned · accidental · happenstance · fluke · surprise · unforeseen · spontaneous · luck · fate
found
Discovered or established
- stumbledLost balance while walking
- uncoveredMade visible or known
- discoveredFound something previously unknown
revelation · realization · insight · learning · observation · awareness · noticed · detected · recognized · identified
challenge
Test of ability
- oppositionActive resistance or dissent
- conflictOpposition between parties
- clashViolent disagreement or collision
standoff · showdown · face-off · dispute · struggle · resistance · hostility · antagonism · friction · skirmish
memory
Mind's retention capacity
- impressionEffect on the mind
- recollectionRecalled mental image
- sensationPerceived stimulus or phenomenon
perception · moment · interaction · episode · event · occurrence · incident · situation · circumstance · exposure
- familiarityfamiliar, unfamiliar, known, unknown, acquainted
- found synonymsfound, discovered, uncovered, unearthed, located
- close encountersBrief proximity with something
- chance encounterUnintended crossing of paths
- random encounterUnplanned interaction with another
- police encounter
- sexual encounter
- alien encountersContact with otherworldly visitors
encounter, encountering, encounters, unencountered, reencounter