impend

verb

im·​pend im-ˈpend 

impended; impending; impends

intransitive verb

1

a

: to be about to occur

the impending trial

b

: to hover threateningly : menace

2

archaic : to hang suspended

Synonyms

• loom
• brew

Examples of impend in a Sentence

for confirmed pessimists some disaster always seems to be impending

Recent Examples on the Web

His unwillingness to name a successor is fueling fears of impending political chaos, World Politics Review said, and arguably holding back progress in the country. —Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 10 Oct. 2025

What continued to bother him was the strange feeling of impending disaster. —Marguerite Reiss, Outdoor Life, 9 Oct. 2025

Publicly, Everton’s response to Dewsbury-Hall’s impending ban has been one of frustration. —Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025

Galas’s maid, played by the essential Mary Testa, is a former opera star herself, one who makes ominous pronouncements of impending doom in between her dusting. —Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin impendēre, from in- + pendēre to hang — more at pendant

First Known Use

1585, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Rhymes for impend

• amend
• append
• ascend
• attend
• backend
• befriend
• boyfriend
• commend
• compend
• contend
• defend
• depend

Kids Definition

impend

verb

im·​pend im-ˈpend 

1

: to threaten to occur immediately

impending danger

2

: to be about to happen

an impending trip

3

archaic : to hang out or over