about to

Idioms  

1. Ready to, on the verge of, as in I was about to leave when it began to rain , or He hasn't finished yet but he's about to . This usage was first recorded in Miles Coverdale's 1535 translation of the Bible (Joshua 18:8).

2. not about to . Having no intention of doing something, as in The shop steward was not about to cross the picket line , or Are you staying longer?—No, I'm not about to . [ Colloquial ; first half of 1900s]

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Example Sentences

Det Ch Supt Luke Williams, who leads policing in north-west London, reassured members of the Jewish community which is about to celebrate Passover.

From BBC

America is about to do something great: send astronauts around the moon on a giant rocket that is taller than the Statue of Liberty External link.

From Barron's

He ran back to the car, but as he was about to jump in a wave of water hit him and he fell.

From The Wall Street Journal

EV sales, though, were about to fall off a cliff.

From The Wall Street Journal

A woman who was born without a womb and told she would not have children of her own went on to help deliver her biological son - who is about to celebrate his first birthday.

From BBC