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

Latif bravely goes to his final battle to rescue Hatty from Hwan Yoon’s impending execution. — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2026

Like everyone, Hall had heard the rumors of the designer’s impending departure. — Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026

The New York Rangers had a revenue-sharing expense of $43 million last season, according to documents filed for their impending spinoff from Madison Square Garden Sports. — Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 29 Sep. 2026

Industry insiders had been anticipating the younger Blavatnik’s entry into the company for years, and speculation of his impending appointment had been growing louder over the past several months. — Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 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