impend

verb

im·​pend im-ˈpend 

impended; impending; impends

intransitive verb

1

a

: to be about to occur

rain impended

b

: to hover threateningly : menace

… the pressing problems that now impend upon the region …

—Arturo Cruz Jr. et al.

2

archaic : to hang suspended

Synonyms of impend

• loom
• brew

Examples of impend in a Sentence

for confirmed pessimists some disaster always seems to be impending

Recent Examples on the Web

This Celtic name references the goddess of war who often appeared as a crow and at times was a sign of impending doom or death. — Anna Earl, Parents, 5 Sep. 2026

If 2024 was the growing-pains season, when Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese entered as rookies and were still paid around $75,000, 2025 was defined by impending CBA negotiations. — Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 4 Sep. 2026

Over the weekend, Bloomberg News reported Nvidia has informed customers of impending price hikes on AI servers due to memory costs. — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 24 Aug. 2026

One man, Bill Cosby, has done it, but I Spy lasted three seasons, so Smart’s impending five-for-five record will be more impressive. — Joyce Eng, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin impendēre "to hang above, be suspended, be about to happen (of something undesirable), threaten," from im- im- + pendēre "to hang" — more at pendent entry 1

First Known Use

1585, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Rhymes for impend

• amend
• append
• ascend
• attend
• backend
• befriend
• boyfriend
• commend
• compend
• contend
• defend
• depend

Kids Definition

impend

verb

im·​pend im-ˈpend 

1

: to threaten to occur immediately

impending danger

2

: to be about to happen

an impending trip

3

archaic : to hang out or over