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

Mosh compared their impending farewell to another high-profile retirement occurring in the industry. —Andrew Ravens‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2025

But Academy Award-winning actress Nicole Kidman wants a normal holiday despite her impending divorce from Keith Urban. —Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 23 Nov. 2025

The company formally announced the impending launch of its workhorse Electron rocket less than five hours ahead of time. —Mike Wall, Space.com, 21 Nov. 2025

The Grammy-winner, who's been making the rounds to celebrate the impending release of the musical sequel, shared the news via Instagram Stories on Thursday morning. —Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Nov. 2025

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