imminent

adjective

ˈi-mə-nənt How to pronounce imminent (audio)
Definition of imminentnext
1
as in impending
giving signs of immediate occurrence a storm is imminent, so you should seek shelter now

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in upcoming
being soon to appear or take place an imminent development that should radically transform how we treat the disease

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 imminent This is why the Five Eyes intelligence agencies recently warned of an imminent cyber threat from advanced AI models. — Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 2 July 2026 By early Monday afternoon, the weather service had issued red flag warnings for imminent fire danger for large swaths of Colorado between Tuesday afternoon and night. — Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 30 June 2026 Officials warned residents that an evacuation notification may be imminent if conditions continue to degrade. — Christa Swanson, CBS News, 28 June 2026 Responsible leadership means proactively preparing the enterprise workforce for this imminent organizational down-sizing and structural workplace transition rather than denying its clear historical inevitability. — Barney Krishnan, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for imminent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imminent
  1. impending
  2. upcoming
  3. approaching
  4. coming
Adjective
  • Neither will New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who on Tuesday was mum on any details to which he’d been made privy, carefully side-stepping a question about the Swift event during a press conference about the impending heat wave.
    — Alli Rosenbloom, CNN Money, 1 July 2026
  • LeBron James's impending free agency, though less leveraged at 41, points predictably towards a return to the Lakers.
    — Mark Medina, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of impending
Adjective
  • Hawkins, 38, will end his 13-year run as Officer Kevin Atwater on the popular NBC show during the show's upcoming Season 14 in October, USA TODAY has learned.
    — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • While chatting with ExtraTV at the Tight Ends & Friends concert presented by Sports Illustrated and Reese's, San Francisco 49ers player George Kittle confirmed he was invited to the upcoming ceremony — and revealed one of the pair's wedding rules.
    — Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026
Definition of upcoming
Adjective
  • With fireworks season fast approaching, there's no better time than now to get your pet fast and reliable support before anxiety hits hardest.
    — Jessica Moore, USA Today, 29 June 2026
  • And June 30 is fast approaching.
    — Ryan Lenora Brown, Christian Science Monitor, 26 June 2026
Definition of approaching
Adjective
  • The world’s largest Wally’s is set to break ground in Independence in the coming months, with construction expected to conclude in 2027.
    — Ilana Arougheti July 2, Kansas City Star, 2 July 2026
  • Brickell is set to get even more Class A office space in coming years.
    — Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026
Definition of coming

Browse Nearby Words

imminences
imminent
imminently
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Cite this Entry

“Imminent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imminent. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on imminent

Nglish: Translation of imminent for Spanish Speakers

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