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
Related Words
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.
Casemiro's impending departure creates one space but the reality is there is no depth.
From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026
A section titled “Some more words on the matter of our impending extinction” talked about AI’s potential threat to humanity, the complaint said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026
Roland added that the bond market isn’t necessarily flashing signs of impending doom in private credit either.
From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026
A Jeremiah figure among millennial and Gen X parents for his warnings of impending social media doom and ruin, Haidt didn’t mince words when forecasting the impact of the recent court cases.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 28, 2026
The impending clash between the Soviets and the Americans thus had Cold War implications.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
