impending
/ɪmˈpɛndɪŋ/
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Also seen as: impendings
Sense 1
Meaning · English
Approaching; drawing near; about to happen or expected to happen.
Adjective
Examples
I have no time right now because of an impending paper submission deadline.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).
Sense 2
Meaning · English
Something that impends or threatens; an expected event.
Noun
Examples
Speed of locomotion and staying power in horse and others; the sense of smell in dog and in most other creatures (a far subtler and more analytical faculty than is man's mere perception of odour). Even an uncanny supra-natural sense of natural impendings, catastrophe, earthquake and flood, lacking i
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “impending” mean?
Approaching; drawing near; about to happen or expected to happen.
Is “impending” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.