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V2 Vocabulary Building Dictionary


impending

adjective

Definition: something which is about to happen, often something threatening

Synonyms: imminent, threatening, menacing, looming, forthcoming, near, close

Antonyms: far-off, unlikely, distant

Tips: Impending comes from the Latin impendere, which literally means "to hang over." Something impending may seem to "hang over" a person because it is about to happen and often is bad or dangerous. See imminent for a discussion on the difference between imminent, impending, and forthcoming.

Usage Examples:

The captives knew they faced impending doom. (imminent, looming)

The defendant awaited his impending sentence. (forthcoming, imminent)

I am afraid of all the impending lawsuits that will likely come from this. (forthcoming, imminent)

It was a sad day in sports history when Dr. J announced his impending retirement. (forthcoming)


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