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 of impending

• 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

Saturday, Sunday and Monday are First Alert Weather Days due to the impact of the impending storm. —Scott Padgett, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026

There is a 50% chance New York City and its closest suburbs could receive at least a foot of snow from the weekend’s impending snowstorm, meteorologists said Thursday. —Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2026

This weekend's impending freezing weather will also likely be too cold for your pet. —Cailey Gleeson, jsonline.com, 22 Jan. 2026

But the trees’ impending doom outraged many residents, who have railed against the idea ever since. —Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 21 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

from present participle of impend

First Known Use

1616, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for impending

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