impend

/ɪmˈpend/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪmˈpend/ (ame, ipa) · /im-ˈpend/ (ame, mw)

impend — verb

  • impendpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • impends3rd person singular
  • impending-ing form
  • impendedpast simple

1. of an event, usually a bad or worrying one, to be near in time and almost certai

1.動詞不及物C2
釋義

of an event, usually a bad or worrying one, to be near in time and almost certain to occur very soon.

例句

A heavy storm impended over the coastal village, so Trang asked the fishermen to bring their boats ashore.

subject is a threatening event; intransitive use

With layoffs impending, Kabir spent the weekend updating his resume and contacting old colleagues.

with + noun + impending (participle, common pattern)

同義詞
  • loom

    more common in modern English; often physical or metaphorical and frequently used in finite form

  • approach

    neutral in tone; works for both good and bad events, unlike 'impend'

  • threaten

    stresses the harm the event will cause, not just its nearness in time

反義詞
  • recede

    of a threat or event, to grow more distant rather than closer

文法句型

[event] + impend

用法筆記

Almost always used of negative or unwanted future events (storms, layoffs, war, illness). The present participle 'impending' is far more common than the finite verb, especially as a modifier: 'impending doom', 'impending crisis', 'impending exam'.

常見錯誤

❌My birthday party impends next week.
✅My birthday party is coming up next week.
💡'impend' is reserved for unpleasant or threatening events, not happy ones.
❌She impended the deadline.
✅The deadline impended.' / 'She faced the impending deadline.
💡'impend' is intransitive; the event is the subject, not the object.