collide
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
verb
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to crash together with a violent impact
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to conflict in attitude, opinion, or desire; clash; disagree
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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collidesimple
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collidessimple
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have collidedperfect
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has collidedperfect
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am collidingprogressive
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are collidingprogressive
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is collidingprogressive
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have been collidingperfect progressive
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has been collidingperfect progressive
Past
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collidedsimple
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had collidedperfect
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was collidingprogressive
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were collidingprogressive
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had been collidingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of collide
1615–25; < Latin collīdere to strike together, equivalent to col- col- 1 + -līdere, combining form of laedere to strike
Explanation
It could be protons bouncing around in a particle accelerator, two cars failing to stop at an intersection, or the priorities of two people with very different goals. When things crash together, they collide. The verb collide has roots in the Latin word collidere, which comes from col- or “together” and laedere, “to strike or damage," like planes that collide in midair. Collide can also describe ideas that clash, such as expectations that collide with reality or radical views that collide with tradition.
Vocabulary lists containing collide
Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer - Introductory
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Force and Motion (Mechanics) - Introductory
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Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer - Middle School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
These accounts collide with the present era’s eerie uncertainty at every turn, making for an altogether riveting, cyclical listening experience that tells her life’s story without smoothing its contradictions.
From Salon • Jul. 8, 2026
The industry is approaching what Cox calls “a moment of truth,” as stratospheric valuations collide with ballooning capex and slower-than-expected adoption of the technology.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 1, 2026
Leaders’ visions of a once-in-a-lifetime economic opportunity collide with longtime residents’ desire to hold on to their quiet way of life.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
The market has already used many of its easiest workarounds, while China’s eventual return could collide with lower inventories.
From Barron's • Jun. 7, 2026
I jerked away, let my other knee collide, instead, with that of the girl on the other side of me.
From "The Miseducation of Cameron Post" by emily m. danforth
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
