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 Christina, the youngest, is a former Deadhead turned suburban yoga mom, whose gratitude-and-mindfulness façade is showing cracks; her earnest over-enunciating seems like a coping mechanism to fend off an impending meltdown. Jon Frosch, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Sep. 2023 The news of Noem's impending endorsement was first reported by CNN. Garrett Haake, NBC News, 8 Sep. 2023 The leader of the United Auto Workers is pushing back against President Joe Biden's claims that an impending strike is unlikely, saying that the union is focusing on reaching an agreement with automakers. Rachel Schilke, Washington Examiner, 7 Sep. 2023 The impending trial comes against the backdrop of Rolling Stone’s three-month investigation into Majors, where multiple sources claimed Majors had a history of domestic violence and was emotionally abusive with previous romantic partners. Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 6 Sep. 2023 The store quietly announced its impending closure on Facebook on Tuesday morning with a photo of a banner that hung outside its store on 324 S.E. Grand Ave. oregonlive, 6 Sep. 2023 But even high earners aren’t exempt from the impending financial stress. Byalicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 1 Sep. 2023 The claim: Fauci declared unvaccinated people 'must be locked down' this coming winter An Aug. 23 article by The People's Voice claims a prominent doctor warned of the need for impending lockdowns for unvaccinated people. Chris Mueller, USA TODAY, 31 Aug. 2023 That’s right, fall is (almost) upon us, and with its impending arrival comes inevitable excitement over the return of pumpkin spice. Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 24 Aug. 2023 See More

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 23 Sep. 2023.

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