Synonyms of looming

looming 1 of 2

adjective

as in impending

giving signs of immediate occurrence

some economists see a looming collapse of the stock market

Synonyms & Similar Words

• impending
• imminent
• possible
• coming
• approaching
• brewing
• threatening
• around the corner
• pending
• future
• nearing
• inevitable
• probable
• upcoming
• forthcoming
• unavoidable
• ominous
• predicted
• gathering
• oncoming
• apocalyptic
• near
• likely
• menacing
• anticipated
• foreseen
• awaited
• expected
• portentous
• lowering

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• distant
• past
• remote
• ultimate
• eventual
• former
• far-off
• recent
• late
• bygone

looming

2 of 2

verb

present participle of loom

as in brewing

to be about to happen

he tried to take a proactive approach to dealing with the problems that loomed ahead

Synonyms & Similar Words

• brewing
• impending
• approaching
• hovering
• nearing
• threatening
• hanging
• drawing on
• advancing
• gathering
• closing in
• lowering
• overhanging
• menacing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• diminishing
• falling
• disappearing
• receding
• vanishing
• dwindling
• shrinking
• declining
• waning
• tapering
• lowering
• fading
• ebbing
• lessening
• subsiding
• abating
• relenting
• tapering off
• dying down
• moderating
• passing
• remitting
• letting up
• retreating
• withdrawing
• falling back
• de-escalating

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of looming

Verb

While his ball production totaled just two interceptions during his career, his ability to play as a rangy deep safety forced opposing quarterbacks to keep things underneath with his top-end services looming downfield. —Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Mar. 2026

There’s the constantly looming threat of the sophomore slump, and the old saw that the artist has had their entire life to write the first album and barely a spare minute to write the second. —Jem Aswad, Variety, 27 Mar. 2026

An onslaught of legal battles and a looming referendum could still decide whether the gerrymandered map will be in place for the 2026 election. —Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2026

Amid the increasingly damning reports on the rising threat of America’s runaway deficits and debt, the looming disaster that could upend the lifestyle of tens of millions of elderly Americans is getting scant attention. —Shawn Tully, Fortune, 26 Mar. 2026

With just more than two weeks left in the regular season and the possibility of needing to qualify for the playoffs through the play-in tournament for the fourth straight year still looming, the Heat’s rotation remains fluid. —Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026

With Digital Product Passport (DPP) looming on the EU’s horizon, brands need more than good intentions. —Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 26 Mar. 2026

The looming catastrophe that motivated the activists of the 2010s does not move the voters of the 2020s. —David Weigel, semafor.com, 25 Mar. 2026

With Israeli troops moving village to village and a more extensive operation looming, many in Lebanon have expressed frustrations with Hezbollah. —Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 20 Mar. 2026