loom

verb

loomed; looming; looms

intransitive verb

1

: to come into sight in enlarged or distorted and indistinct form often as a result of atmospheric conditions

Storm clouds loomed on the horizon.

2

a

: to appear in an impressively great or exaggerated form

deficits loomed large

b

: to take shape as an impending occurrence

the problems that loomed ahead

Synonyms of loom

• brew
• impend

Examples of loom in a Sentence

Storm clouds loomed on the horizon.

The mountains loom above the valley.

Recent Examples on the Web

The question that loomed for days was whether fellow candidate and former reality TV star Spencer Pratt would advance to a runoff election, or if Raman would be able to edge him out for that spot as more votes were counted. —Paris Barraza, USA Today, 9 June 2026

With closing arguments looming on Tuesday, Karmelo Anthony's defense rested without calling him to testify — a move that came as legal analysts questioned whether his self-defense claim will persuade jurors. —Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 9 June 2026

With an October deadline looming for the seven states to agree on a new Colorado River Compact—the plan that governs how water is distributed between them—regional officials are under pressure to strike a compromise on steep water cuts. —The Week Us, TheWeek, 8 June 2026

Julio Le Parc was born on September 23, 1928, in Mendoza, Argentina, in the looming shadow of the Andes. —News Desk, Artforum, 8 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

circa 1541, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing loom

• Jacquard loom
• loom large

Rhymes for loom

• blume
• boom
• broom
• doom
• flume
• fume
• gloom
• glume
• groom
• plume
• rheum
• room

Kids Definition

loom

1 of 2 noun

ˈlüm 

: a frame or machine for weaving threads or yarns to produce cloth

loom

2 of 2 verb

1

: to appear suddenly and often with a large, dim, or strange form

loomed out of the fog

2

: to be about to happen