collide
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
verb
-
to crash together with a violent impact
-
to conflict in attitude, opinion, or desire; clash; disagree
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.
“At some point the market is going to collide and prices are going to shoot up.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
During especially powerful events, these particles collide with atmospheric gases and create carbon 14 compounds that spread around the globe and become trapped inside living organisms.
From Science Daily • May 14, 2026
“Handled poorly, the two countries will collide or even clash.”
From Barron's • May 14, 2026
Indonesia experiences frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", where tectonic plades collide.
From BBC • May 11, 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.
