loom large

Idioms  

1. Appear imminent in a threatening, magnified form. For example, The possibility of civil war loomed large on the horizon, or Martha wanted to take it easy for a week, but the bar exam loomed large. This term employs loom in the sense of “come into view,” a usage dating from the late 1500s.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

loom large

Here, the memories of 2009's Black Saturday bushfires – the country's deadliest on record – loom large.

From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026

The accomplishments of the fathers or uncles of those draftees loom large.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026

But the midterm elections loom large, or even enormous, in any calculations about the future.

From Salon ● Jun. 26, 2026

Iran will loom large over the Trump-Xi summit.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 11, 2026

Slights loom large, and a reprimand can reverberate into the night.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich