Impending

Podcast 1 · Introduction

Impending

A documentary-style narration: origin, meaning, and feel.

Part of speech

adjective

Pronunciation

im-PEN-ding  /ɪmˈpɛndɪŋ/

Definition

(Of an event regarded as threatening or significant) about to happen; imminent, typically with a sense of foreboding.

Plain meaning

Impending means about to happen, with a strong sense that what is coming is significant and usually threatening or unwelcome. An impending storm means the storm is nearly here. An impending crisis means a crisis is about to break. An impending deadline means it is approaching fast. The word almost always implies that what is coming is serious, pressing, or worrying — it is rarely used for pleasant future events.

Register

Neutral to slightly formal. Impending is almost always used with a negative or serious connotation: impending doom, impending crisis, impending collapse, impending arrival (of something difficult). Its use with neutral or positive events is unusual enough to be noteworthy. Impending is stronger than upcoming or forthcoming.