The word 遭遇 is formed by combining two characters, 遭 and 遇, which both individually carry the core meaning of "to meet" or "to encounter". Their union is not merely additive but intensifying and specifying, creating a conceptual blend where 遭 contributes a nuance of encountering something by chance or fate, often with a negative connotation of hardship, while 遇 reinforces the fundamental idea of a meeting or experience. Together, they crystallize into a single concept representing an impactful, often adverse, encounter with an event or circumstance, transforming two notions of meeting into one for a fateful and usually unwelcome experience.