oncoming

[on-kuhm-ing, awn-]

See more synonyms for oncoming on Thesaurus.com

adjective

approaching; nearing: the oncoming train; the oncoming holiday season.
emerging: the oncoming generation of leaders.

noun

approach; onset: the oncoming of winter.

Origin of oncoming

1835–45; on + coming, after verb phrase come on

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for oncoming

Contemporary Examples

But the car roared away, the driver so desperate to escape that he veered into oncoming traffic.
Did the Amber Lynn Coplin Murder Photos Sicken the Creeps of 4Chan?
Michael Daly
November 6, 2014
A block away, a car without a driver speeds through a red light and crashes into oncoming traffic.
The Rapture: The Theological Idea That Inspired ‘The Leftovers’
Matthew Paul Turner
July 6, 2014
An aura is a warning symptom, or set of symptoms, that precedes an oncoming migraine.
How to Destroy Your Headaches
Dr. Anand Veeravagu, MD, Tej Azad
June 23, 2014
Well, there was nothing paltry about Obamacare or rescuing the country from an oncoming depression.
No One’s Going to Challenge Hillary Clinton
Robert Shrum
May 10, 2014
When they reached the Will Rogers Park, just after Sunset, he did a u-turn at high speed into oncoming traffic.
New Clue in Chasen Murder
A. L. Bardach
December 6, 2010

Historical Examples

He knew not how nor why, yet he got his feel of the oncoming event from the gods themselves.
White Fang
Jack London
He stooped; seized a boulder, hurled it at the oncoming Lee.
The World Beyond
Raymond King Cummings
With the oncoming of the parks and play-grounds, all of this, we may hope, will change.
The Meaning of Evolution
Samuel Christian Schmucker
They laid her on the ground beside the door and watched the oncoming lights.
The Solar Magnet
Sterner St. Paul Meek
He might as well have tried to stop an oncoming rocket ship.
The Martian Cabal
Roman Frederick Starzl

British Dictionary definitions for oncoming

oncoming

adjective

coming nearer in space or time; approaching

noun

the approach or onsetthe oncoming of winter

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for oncoming

adj.

1844, from on + coming, present participle of come (v.).

oncoming

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}oncoming

Examples from the Web for oncoming

Contemporary Examples

But the car roared away, the driver so desperate to escape that he veered into oncoming traffic.

A block away, a car without a driver speeds through a red light and crashes into oncoming traffic.

An aura is a warning symptom, or set of symptoms, that precedes an oncoming migraine.

Well, there was nothing paltry about Obamacare or rescuing the country from an oncoming depression.

When they reached the Will Rogers Park, just after Sunset, he did a u-turn at high speed into oncoming traffic.

Historical Examples

He knew not how nor why, yet he got his feel of the oncoming event from the gods themselves.

He stooped; seized a boulder, hurled it at the oncoming Lee.

With the oncoming of the parks and play-grounds, all of this, we may hope, will change.

They laid her on the ground beside the door and watched the oncoming lights.

He might as well have tried to stop an oncoming rocket ship.

oncoming

Word Origin and History for oncoming

adj.

Origin of oncoming