about to

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]

Example Sentences

Do these make you look like you’re about to spike a serve in a beach volleyball tournament?

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Washington alumnus and comedian Joel McHale performed a short recorded bit that was shown on the scoreboard before the game, but the real slapstick was about to come.

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But Miles was about to pull off his biggest scam yet.

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Centennial about to win 28-27 over Mater Dei.

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Meanwhile, the case was about to reach a United Nations agency that adjudicates copyright disputes.

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