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

Ragans will miss the remainder of the 2026 season and Bubic is an impending free agent. — Kansas City Star, 9 July 2026 Here’s what to know about the impending deadline, and how to file a claim—including with a new option the IRS rolled out last week. — Connor Greene, Time, 8 July 2026

Verb

Ohtani was not present Friday night due to the baby’s impending birth when the Dodgers defeated the visiting Baltimore Orioles 6-5. — Reuters, NBC news, 20 June 2026 Caitlin Clark’s impending signature shoe debut is the most anticipated in the sport for quite some time. — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 17 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for impending

Recent Examples of Synonyms for impending

Adjective

The Premier League has introduced its own SCR limit — set at a higher 85 per cent — for the upcoming 2026-27 season.

— Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 18 July 2026
However, an October 2020 memo noted the overall intelligence community believed that China considered but did not deploy influence efforts for the upcoming 2020 election.

— Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 17 July 2026

Definition of upcoming

Adjective

The vampire saved the show from imminent cancelation, prompting a spike in ratings and a new direction away from a moody Jane Eyre-like gothic romance style to outright supernatural (if unintentionally campy) horror.

— Greg Evans, Deadline, 18 July 2026
That gives the three imminent data centers in Miami-Dade a tinier footprint than the headline makers elsewhere in the state, said Margaret Cook, vice president of water and community resilience at the Houston Advanced Research Center.

— Alexandra Phelps, Miami Herald, 17 July 2026

Definition of imminent

Verb

And with looming questions about tariffs, labor markets, and shifting political conditions, many companies are treating automation as a long-term hedge against uncertainty, not a one-time upgrade.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 17 July 2026
If the court agreed, such a finding could strengthen xAI’s defense in the looming potential class action, which lawyers estimate could involve thousands of victims.

— Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 16 July 2026

Definition of looming

Adjective

So, with another knockout game fast approaching, will Messi step up if Argentina is awarded another spot kick?

— Ben Church, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
For the Master Plan to be implemented, cities representing 80% of the population of the participating cities must approve the plan by the deadline of August 14, 2026, which is fast approaching.

— Stephanie Pearson, Sun Sentinel, 8 July 2026

Definition of approaching

Verb

The set features merfolk, seals, homarids and deities that rule over the undersea plane of Nauctis amidst tensions brewing between two warring kingdoms.

— Mya Copeland, Variety, 17 July 2026
Consensus among weather experts is that an El Niño climate pattern is brewing, with a high chance of being very strong.

— Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2026

Definition of brewing

Adjective

The coming months will also tell the Dodgers plenty about Roki Sasaki’s place in that October picture.

— Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 18 July 2026
Achane’s locked up for the next five seasons at a total value of $70 million, but only the first three years, which are valued at $37 million, are realistic unless Miami retouches the deal to create cap space in the coming seasons.

— Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 17 July 2026

Definition of coming

Cite this Entry

Style

“Impending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impending. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of impending

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on impending

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

raffish

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes