IMPENDING Synonyms: 87 Similar and Opposite Words

impending 1 of 2

adjective

im-ˈpen-diŋ

Definition of impending

as in upcoming

being soon to appear or take place an impending celebration of the 100th anniversary of the college's founding

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in looming

giving signs of immediate occurrence an aura of impending doom hung over the city

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

impending

2 of 2

verb

present participle of impend

as in brewing

to be about to happen for confirmed pessimists some disaster always seems to be impending

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of impending

Adjective

Rumors of Frow’s impending departure had been bubbling in the industry in some months. — K.j. Yossman, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026 That includes pitching coach Matt Blake and director of catching Tanner Swanson, two impending free agents the team would be wise to retain after exercising club options on them last offseason. — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 13 Oct. 2026

Verb

There’s a wonderful fraction of a second when the Villa fans in the Holte End have to adjust from impending despair to utter joy. — Amitai Winehouse, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for impending

Recent Examples of Synonyms for impending

Adjective

The pope’s diagnosis and surgery left his upcoming trip to South America up in the air.

— Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 21 Oct. 2026
There are also deals on women's pajama gift sets in cute holiday prints, like red plaid or holiday dogs, as well as kids' ski apparel for an upcoming winter vacation.

— ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of upcoming

Adjective

Such long-term investment is difficult to reconcile with the notion of an imminent military confrontation.

— Ningrong Liu, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
Ben Crump, an attorney for Kohen’s family, said the footage shows the fatal shot came from the side of the car, disputing that Foster was in imminent danger.

— Jack Brook, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of imminent

Adjective

But Chang, who was then working for a solar-energy startup, found the proceedings unexpectedly disinterested in political strategy, even as the 2024 Presidential election was fast approaching.

— Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
The deadline to register to vote in Pennsylvania for the 2026 midterm election is fast approaching.

— Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of approaching

Verb

Could a major deal between David Ellison’s Skydance and Elon Musk’s SpaceX be brewing?

— Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026
The ear had been in the jar for nearly a decade (ew), but the conflict between Spain and Britain had been brewing much longer.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of brewing

Adjective

Anthropic reportedly plans to spend $750 billion on adding compute capacity in the coming years, including hundreds of billions in non-cancelable deals, as AI labs race to finance a huge infrastructure buildout.

— Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 21 Oct. 2026
But the new title serves political purposes and could mean quite a lot to visitors, supporters and surrounding communities alike in the coming years.

— Seth T. Kannarr, The Conversation, 21 Oct. 2026