遭遇 (zāo yù) is a verb meaning 'to suffer' or 'to experience'—almost always something adverse, such as an accident, illness, hardship, or misfortune. Though both characters individually mean 'to meet' or 'to encounter' (遭 = to meet by chance, often with negative connotation; 遇 = to meet or come across), together they form a compound emphasizing an involuntary, often unwelcome, experience. It’s more formal and literary than everyday verbs like 遇到 (yù dào) and commonly appears in news reports, official statements, or written narratives.

The word functions as a transitive verb and usually takes a noun phrase indicating the negative event: e.g., 遭遇车祸 (zāo yù chē huò, 'suffer a traffic accident'), 遭遇挫折 (zāo yù cuò zhé, 'encounter setbacks'). It rarely describes positive experiences—using it for something pleasant would sound ironic or sarcastic. While it can appear in the past tense with 了, it’s often used without aspect markers in formal contexts to convey gravity and immediacy.