impending

/ɪmˈpendɪŋ/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪmˈpendɪŋ/ (ame, ipa) · /im-ˈpen-diŋ/ (ame, mw)

impending — adjective

  • impendingpositive
  • more impendingcomparative
  • most impendingsuperlative

1. describing an event, often a bad or worrying one, that is expected to take place

1.形容詞C1
釋義

describing an event, often a bad or worrying one, that is expected to take place very soon.

例句

Dark clouds and strong winds warned the villagers of an impending storm.

attributive: impending + noun (event)

Amira could not sleep, worried about her impending exam on Monday morning.

common collocation: impending exam / deadline

同義詞
  • imminent

    near-synonym; even stronger sense of 'about to happen in seconds or minutes'.

  • looming

    stresses the threatening shadow the future event casts on the present.

  • upcoming

    neutral tone; works for any future event, good or bad.

  • forthcoming

    formal; often for scheduled events like books, reports, elections, with no negative tone.

反義詞
  • distant

    of a future event, far off in time rather than soon.

  • past

    already happened, the opposite direction in time.

文法句型

impending + noun

用法筆記

Almost always used before a noun (attributive), never after 'be' — say 'an impending decision', not 'the decision is impending'. Object noun is typically something unwelcome: storm, doom, danger, deadline, closure, divorce, crisis.

常見錯誤

❌The election is impending next week.
✅The impending election is next week.
💡'impending' goes before a noun, not after 'be'.
❌I am excited about my impending birthday party.
✅I am excited about my upcoming birthday party.
💡'impending' carries a worrying or unwanted tone; use 'upcoming' for happy events.