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.
“We’re about to create general super intelligence and that threatens humanity as a whole,” Yampolskiy said.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026
Two weeks ago, the students, some about to take final exams, were told they would have to find a lump sum to repay loans immediately.
From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026
A big reason is psychological: It takes lots of evidence to convince people something unthinkable might be about to happen like major banks collapsing, a pandemic or actual fuel shortages.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026
With Beckett about to enter kindergarten at the time, Farr focused her house hunt on neighborhoods with stellar schools, which led her to the Los Angeles suburb of La Cañada Flintridge.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026
“I don’t—” I’m about to roll my eyes at him again, for such a detective question, as if we’re trapped in a Conan Doyle novel.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
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.
