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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
To prevent this impending disaster, Dewey asked voters to elect him, instead of giving Roosevelt a fourth term. Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2025 The movie, which posits an impending nuclear strike on a major American city, is a flimsy yet high-minded piece of doomsday schlock, largely populated by ciphers in suits and drained of the pulp pleasures that schlock, at its best, can afford. Justin Chang, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2025 There’s always that one character—usually wearing glasses and looking worried—who tries to warn everyone about the impending catastrophe. Brendan Keegan, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2025 The news of Holland's impending departure is the latest in a series of recent roster changes for the NXT brand. Andrew Ravens‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for impending

Word History

First Known Use

1616, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of impending was in 1616

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Impending.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impending. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.

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