impending
Americanadjective
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about to happen; imminent.
their impending marriage.
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imminently threatening or menacing.
an impending storm.
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Archaic. overhanging.
adjective
Synonym Usage
See imminent.
Etymology
Origin of impending
Explanation
If something is impending, it is about to happen. If you hear thunder in the distance, you might go inside to escape the impending storm. The word impending often refers to something threatening or frightening: impending doom, impending disaster. Something that is impending hangs over you — you might say, "I was so distracted by thoughts of my impending failure in my exams, I couldn't study." A synonym is imminent.
Vocabulary lists containing impending
100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for Middle School Students, List 4
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Things Fall Apart
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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.
The discussion focuses on benefits scheduled under current law, and does not address the impending cut in benefits once the trust funds are exhausted in the early 2030s.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 11, 2026
Nattering in the background are broadcasts about the impending threat of global war at the hands of the United States, Russia and North Korea.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026
Talk of an impending “deal” aside, all my reporting suggests he has no regard for the words of Iran’s leaders.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
The impending SpaceX IPO, potentially valuing the company at $2 trillion, is influencing other space stock valuations.
From Barron's • Jun. 1, 2026
His tales about Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, and the Freedom Riders encouraged us to be more than just tourists on our impending trip to Europe.
From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers
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.
