Encounter = negative?

Hi!

Without context, how does the verb "encounter" sound to you? Would you assume it's something negative and confrontational, or is it just neutral?

Thanks for your help

It does not have any negative connotations for me, but it does signal a "significant" meeting.

I think that I am more likely to encounter problems than solutions.

Nordwald said:

Hi!

Without context(There's no such thing) , how does the verb "encounter" sound to you? Would you assume it's something negative and confrontational, or is it just neutral?

Thanks for your help

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I imagine you mean 'if you hear the word without context'. And I agree that it has no negative connotations.

b

5jj said:

I think that I am more likely to encounter problems than solutions.

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Yes, but if you have an encounter with a young lady, it's probably a happy thing.

I think it's neutral absent any other context.

I would say it's neutral without knowing the context. With the context, it can be anything!

Brief Encounter (film) = romantic, a little sad.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (film) = a little scary but ultimately happy.
An encounter with a knifeman on your way home at 3am = terrifying
Encountering problems at work = frustrating
Encountering Brad Pitt on my doorstep when I get home from work = gobsmackingly wonderful (but sadly unlikely).

emsr2d2 said:

Encountering Brad Pitt on my doorstep when I get home from work = gobsmackingly wonderful

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:roll:

This reminds me of my daughter's primary-school essay about the Annunciation. The teacher marked her down for saying 'When Mary heard that she was going to have a baby she was gobsmacked. (I thought it was brilliant. )

b