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

• 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

Experts have warned of an impending disaster, with food supplies running out by November. —Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 7 Aug. 2025

The impending sale of striker Darwin Nunez - ironically to Al Hilal, which is also, like Newcastle, owned by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund - may bring Liverpool back to the table. —Harry De Cosemo, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2025

The family stuck around until the park closed to see the nighttime parade, but cast members informed guests it would be cancelled due to impending rain. —Colson Thayer, People.com, 4 Aug. 2025

For months, businesses have been scrambling to figure out a solution to their impending tariff charges. —Megan Sauer, CNBC, 4 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1616, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for impending

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