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

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026

Analysts aren’t yet forecasting a slowdown, but questions about the spending trajectory are sure to loom large as big tech companies report quarterly earnings later this month.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026

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

From Salon ● Jun. 26, 2026

Those challenges could loom large for Matsumoto, a longtime BLS employee who has been on loan for the past year as a senior economist to the Council of Economic Advisers.

From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 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