impending

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

Synonyms of impending

• upcoming
• approaching
• coming

Examples of impending in a Sentence

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

In addition to drama around the ongoing domestic-violence investigation into the show’s star Taylor Frankie Paul, there are two impending divorces, a MomToker relocating to NYC, and a few other less scandalous updates. —Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 26 Mar. 2026

Multiple reports of Wade’s impending return to LSU have been published. —ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026

The plurality of student and parent respondents in this year’s Princeton Review survey, 35%, cited impending debt levels as the biggest concern about the college application process. —Preston Fore, Fortune, 25 Mar. 2026

Mohamed Salah’s impending departure from Liverpool — confirmed yesterday — did not just mark a huge moment on Merseyside, but across football. —The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

from present participle of impend

First Known Use

1616, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for impending

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