impending

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ɪmˈpendɪŋ/
• American: im-PEN-ding

Origin

From Latin "impendere" meaning "to hang over," formed from "im-" (upon) + "pendere" (to hang)

Meanings

1. About to happen; approaching; forthcoming
2. Threatening to occur immediately
3. Being near at hand or expected to happen soon

Example Sentences

1. "The impending storm forced everyone to seek shelter."
2. "She felt anxious about her impending marriage."
3. "The company warned employees about impending layoffs."
4. "There was a sense of impending doom throughout the horror movie."

Related Words

• Forms:
  • Verb: impend
  • Adjective: impendent
• Synonyms:
  • approaching
  • imminent
  • looming
  • forthcoming
  • pending
  • upcoming

Memory Tricks

1. Think "im-PENDING" as something that is "PENDING immediately"
2. Visualize something hanging over your head (like the original Latin meaning) that's about to fall
3. Remember: if something is "impending," it's "pending" + "immediate"
4. Think of the phrase "impending doom" - it's always about something bad that's about to happen very soon