This is the 10104th most frequent Japanese word.
遭遇
Encounter; confrontation.
Here, '遭遇' (sōgū) describes an unexpected meeting or confrontation.
彼は山で熊と遭遇した。
He encountered a bear in the mountain.
In this context, '遭遇' (sōgū) refers to facing or meeting a challenging situation.
その困難に初めて遭遇したとき、彼は戸惑った。
When he first encountered that difficulty, he was perplexed.
Here, '遭遇' (sōgū) implies facing or coming across an issue or problem often as something inevitable.