impending

adjective

im·​pend·​ing im-ˈpen-diŋ How to pronounce impending (audio)
: 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

Examples of impending in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Tracing two years in the lives of Josefine, Luca and Ask also meant accompanying them in a period of time riddled with the anxieties of impending adulthood. Savina Petkova, Variety, 11 Mar. 2024 Mallory, the university police detective, cited the impending trial in declining to comment on McGovern’s case via a department spokesman. Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Washington Post, 10 Mar. 2024 The impending arrival of Vultures 2 sets up another busy month for Ye and Ty Dolla $ign. Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 9 Mar. 2024 Upon checking in with sources and figuring out what Peterson’s title would officially be once word broke about his impending arrival, my understanding was it hadn’t been established yet. Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 8 Mar. 2024 Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has just weighed in about the efficacy of iOS 17.4, thanks to the impending iMessage update. David Phelan, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 Given the impending arrival of a newborn, and the uncertainty wrought by the diagnosis, Escobar and Reyes considered pausing their work. Ana Karina Zatarain, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2024 The decision by Bishop Michael C. Barber and other church leaders to declare bankruptcy was seen by advocates as an escape route from having to pay out various impending settlements in full. Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2024 Southgate himself has hinted at an impending departure this summer. Graham Ruthven, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'impending.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1616, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of impending was in 1616

Dictionary Entries Near impending

Cite this Entry

“Impending.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impending. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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