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.
Trouble begins when losses collide with fragile funding structures.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026
When those directives collide, the result isn’t growth but short-circuiting.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026
They whirl, bounce, and collide within their confined space like loose change shaking violently in a machine, moving so quickly and unpredictably that standard scientific tools have struggled to track them.
From Science Daily • Mar. 19, 2026
“One Piece” unfolds in an alternate past where futuristic technology, classic pirate imagery and fantasy collide.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026
They’re carrying a large crate, and when we collide, it nearly lands on me.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
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.
