impend

verb

im·​pend im-ˈpend 

impended; impending; impends

intransitive verb

1

a

: to be about to occur

rain impended

b

: to hover threateningly : menace

… the pressing problems that now impend upon the region …

—Arturo Cruz Jr. et al.

2

archaic : to hang suspended

Synonyms of impend

• loom
• brew

Examples of impend in a Sentence

for confirmed pessimists some disaster always seems to be impending

Recent Examples on the Web

One man, Bill Cosby, has done it, but I Spy lasted three seasons, so Smart’s impending five-for-five record will be more impressive. — Joyce Eng, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Aug. 2026

Enjoy perpetually clear skies and a sense of impending doom while looking after Cerberus. — Brandon Follick, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2026

The massive instrument was once used by Côte d’Ivoire’s Atchan/Ebrié people to transmit messages between villages many miles apart, including warnings of impending French recruitment operations. — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 10 Aug. 2026

In her absence, followers host a daily, three-hour livestream, recording themselves discussing news events from around the world, often concluding that Didulo will return and save the world from impending disaster. — Zander Sherman, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin impendēre "to hang above, be suspended, be about to happen (of something undesirable), threaten," from im- im- + pendēre "to hang" — more at pendent

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