about to
Idioms-
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).
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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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Like Pablo, Alexander is also about to take on a new milestone, when he starts secondary school.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
That reckoning, however, is about to come due.
From Slate ● Aug. 28, 2026
Kevin Warsh, another Druckenmiller protégé and Bessent ally, is about to step into this storm.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
“We’re seeing incredible demand for our AI and data products, with ARR about to cross $4 billion.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026
“Grandma, it looks like we’re about to do yoga.”
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
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.
