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Synonyms

looming

American  
[loo-ming] / ˈlu mɪŋ /

noun

  1. a mirage in which objects below the horizon seem to be raised above their true positions.

Etymology

Origin of looming

First recorded in 1620–30; loom 2 + -ing 1

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.

After JPMorgan Chase boss Jamie Dimon used a cockroach analogy to warn about looming defaults, Nesbitt declared there were “No Cockroaches in Private Debt.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

Reports of potentially looming job cuts at Oracle have been floating around for weeks.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

In the village of Pusztavacs in central Hungary, election posters on electricity poles remind voters of a looming poll, where nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban's future is on the line.

From Barron's • Mar. 29, 2026

As someone who wakes up in a cold sweat every night, terrified by the looming possibility that “The Devil Wears Prada 2” may be awful, trust me: Sometimes it’s better to leave well enough alone.

From Salon • Mar. 26, 2026

From across the river, he saw a beautiful scene: a looming moon, high over Washington, with the great dome glowing in the moonlight.

From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson

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.