oncoming
Americanadjective
-
approaching; nearing.
the oncoming train; the oncoming holiday season.
-
emerging.
the oncoming generation of leaders.
noun
adjective
noun
Etymology
Origin of oncoming
Explanation
If you're standing on the tracks and a train is heading right for you, it's oncoming. Quick, jump out of the way! You'll almost always find the adjective oncoming describing a vehicle or other large object that's moving fast in your direction, whether it's an oncoming car, oncoming traffic, or an oncoming skateboarder who doesn't see you standing there. Much less often, oncoming means "imminent" or "upcoming:" "The oncoming summer holidays were something to look forward to."
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.
Leslie Goldman, who lives near Studebaker and Stearns, said large piles of dirt — at times higher than cars — have blocked residents from crossing the street or seeing oncoming traffic.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
Running away from oncoming rushers, Guess threw the ball back against his body — something most coaches advise against — and found heavily recruited senior wideout Gavin Honore at the one-yard line.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2026
He then failed to respond to the driver of the oncoming Fiat, who flashed her lights and sounded her horn in an attempt to avoid the crash.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026
A line on the side of the road, he argued, would give drivers somewhere to aim their eyes at night other than oncoming headlights.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026
I stopped dead in my tracks as a realization hit me like an oncoming train.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
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.
