impending

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

Synonyms of impending

• upcoming
• approaching
• coming

Examples of impending in a Sentence

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

But with her nuptials impending, will she be distracted enough to let this awful mystery go unsolved? — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 27 June 2026

Without a care about the mud or the impending return to reality, the crowd relished the final moments of the festival as fireworks burst over the stage. — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 June 2026

While many of the headlines surrounding Swift this summer have largely focused on her impending wedding with Travis Kelce, her non-nuptial activities have been very country forward. — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 29 June 2026

Though still somewhat shaky, shipping confidence in transiting the vital strait is rising rapidly, leading forecasters to warn of an impending oil glut; Citi predicts prices could fall to as low as $60 a barrel by the end of the year. — Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 3 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

from present participle of impend

First Known Use

1616, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for impending

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