impending

1 of 2

adjective

im·​pend·​ing im-ˈpen-diŋ 

: occurring or likely to occur soon : upcoming

impending trials

impending motherhood

… scientists who rely on the satellite signals for hints of impending earthquakes and volcanic eruptions …

—R. Monastersky

… heed the warnings of impending disaster.

—Publishers Weekly

… many of us secretly enjoy the sassier commercials and elegant layouts, not to mention being told of impending sales.

—Andrew Hacker

impending

2 of 2

present participle of impend

Synonyms of impending

Adjective

• upcoming
• approaching
• coming

Examples of impending in a Sentence

Adjective

an impending celebration of the 100th anniversary of the college's founding

an aura of impending doom hung over the city

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

But floor time is hard to come by before an impending recess. — Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 24 Sep. 2026

What impending people decision or opportunity would benefit from a clearer behavioral picture? — Dr. Jay R. Harrison, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026

But while Earth is billions of years younger than many nearby exoplanets, one research team isn’t particularly worried about any impending visits from hyperadvanced aliens. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 23 Sep. 2026

The Ostrich Army spoke of the impending incursion as the advent of jackboot autocracy, but plans to resist it seemed more equivocal. — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from present participle of impend

First Known Use

Adjective

1616, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for impending

• amending
• appending
• ascending
• attending
• befriending
• commending
• contending
• defending
• depending
• descending
• distending
• expending