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

Last week before the Camarillo-Oxnard football game was about to begin with the kickoff, athletic trainer Jessica Fortner of Oxnard noticed a Camarillo coach on the sideline suffering what she judged to be a seizure.

From Los Angeles Times

In a video shared to his Instagram story Wednesday, he asserted, “I’m not about to be silenced.”

From Los Angeles Times

Sure, the collective bargaining agreement is about to expire and negotiations could cripple the league’s extraordinary popularity.

From Los Angeles Times

At the same time, he warned on social media last month that the city was “about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR,” with a reference to the film “Apocalypse Now.”

From Salon

But the Dodgers’ first real test of their World Series title defense is about to begin this weekend.

From Los Angeles Times