impending

1 of 2

adjective

im·​pend·​ing im-ˈpen-diŋ 

: occurring or likely to occur soon : upcoming

impending trials

impending motherhood

… scientists who rely on the satellite signals for hints of impending earthquakes and volcanic eruptions …

—R. Monastersky

… heed the warnings of impending disaster.

—Publishers Weekly

… many of us secretly enjoy the sassier commercials and elegant layouts, not to mention being told of impending sales.

—Andrew Hacker

impending

2 of 2

present participle of impend

Synonyms of impending

Adjective

• upcoming
• approaching
• coming

Examples of impending in a Sentence

Adjective

an impending celebration of the 100th anniversary of the college's founding

an aura of impending doom hung over the city

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The news came on Thursday as rumors of Rubio’s impending resignation began circulating in the wake of new reports from the Independent and Bloomberg. — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 5 Nov. 2026

Despite the impending recount, Johnson declared victory early Wednesday morning. — CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026

Trump himself has been making the strongest possible case for his party’s impending defeat. — Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2026

The case is set around the impending trial of James Cormack’s brother, Ritchie, who is accused of murdering his best friend, Liam Knox, in 1999. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 3 Nov. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from present participle of impend

First Known Use

Adjective

1616, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for impending

• amending
• appending
• ascending
• attending
• befriending
• commending
• contending
• defending
• depending
• descending
• distending
• expending