impending
Americanadjective
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about to happen; imminent.
their impending marriage.
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imminently threatening or menacing.
an impending storm.
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Archaic. overhanging.
adjective
Synonym Usage
See imminent.
Etymology
Origin of impending
Explanation
If something is impending, it is about to happen. If you hear thunder in the distance, you might go inside to escape the impending storm. The word impending often refers to something threatening or frightening: impending doom, impending disaster. Something that is impending hangs over you — you might say, "I was so distracted by thoughts of my impending failure in my exams, I couldn't study." A synonym is imminent.
Vocabulary lists containing impending
100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for Middle School Students, List 4
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Things Fall Apart
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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.
West Ham United co-owner David Sullivan has stepped down from his position as joint chairman and director of the club with immediate effect "having been made aware of the impending publication of serious historic allegations".
From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026
Talk of an impending “deal” aside, all my reporting suggests he has no regard for the words of Iran’s leaders.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
An impending heatwave has threatened to stow away — or rather, further preserve — countless tins of anchovies.
From Salon • May 28, 2026
But it’s a biomarker with clinical backing for impending heart attack risk, and she recommends it at MDVIP.
From Barron's • May 21, 2026
From the cheerful topic of my impending demise, we were suddenly declaring ourselves.
From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer
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.
