Impending

im-PEN-ding

/ɪmˈpendɪŋ/

Adjective

Meaning

Impending refers to something that is about to happen soon, typically an event—often negative or serious—that is approaching or expected to occur in the near future.

Examples

The dark clouds signaled an impending storm.
She felt anxious about the impending exam results.
The company warned employees about the impending policy changes.
The villagers prepared for the impending flood.
His worried expression showed his fear of the impending danger.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms	Antonyms
Approaching Upcoming Imminent Nearing Looming Forthcoming Oncoming	Distant Remote Unlikely Past Avoided

Word Forms

Impend (verb)
Impended (past tense)
Impending (present participle/adjective)
Impends (third-person singular)

Origin / Etymology

From Latin impendere, meaning “to hang over” or “be suspended above,” derived from in- (“over”) + pendere (“to hang”). Entered English in the 17th century with the sense of something threatening or about to happen.

Grammar Information

Used before nouns (attributive adjective): impending disaster, impending decision.
Usually refers to future events, often with a negative or serious implication.
Not commonly used in comparative or superlative forms.

Translations

Hindi: आसन्न, निकट आने वाला
Spanish: inminente
French: imminent
German: bevorstehend
Chinese (Mandarin): 即将发生的
Arabic: وشيك الحدوث
Korean: 임박한
Japanese: 差し迫った

Idioms & Phrases

Impending doom — A sense of unavoidable, approaching disaster.
Impending crisis — A crisis expected to occur soon.
Impending danger — Looming or anticipated threat.