impending

1 of 2

adjective

im·​pend·​ing im-ˈpen-diŋ How to pronounce impending (audio)
Synonyms of impending
: 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

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Adjective

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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
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.
Adjective
With news of its impending closure, consider this your excuse to squeeze in one last visit while cheering on runners just two avenues away on First Avenue. — Anna Grace Lee, Vogue, 28 Oct. 2026 The Colts fired general manager Chris Ballard last week, signaling an impending teardown. — Daniel Popper, New York Times, 27 Oct. 2026 The departures come just over a month after the museum announced the impending exit of chief executive and director Eugene Tan. — News Desk, Artforum, 26 Oct. 2026 Just in time for the impending arrival of winter, New Balance has quietly upgraded the Abzorb 2010 with Gore-Tex membranes in a pack of three distinctly different colorways. — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 25 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for impending

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from present participle of impend

First Known Use

Adjective

1616, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of impending was in 1616

Rhymes for impending

See All Rhymes for impending

Browse Nearby Words

impendent
impending
impenetrability
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Impending.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impending. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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