Meaning & use
impending event
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
Something important or unpleasant that is going to happen very soon.
Grammar: Countable: you can say an impending event or the impending events.
Patterns
- an impending event
- the impending event
- impending events
The whole town was nervous about the impending event.
News of the impending event spread quickly through the office.
She cancelled her trip because of an impending event at work.
nouncountableformal
A coming situation that people expect with worry, especially one that may cause trouble.
Grammar: Often used with the: the impending event was discussed at the meeting.
Patterns
- prepare for an impending event
- warn someone about an impending event
Officials met to prepare for the impending event.
The staff were warned about the impending event well in advance.
Word forms
| plural | impending events |
|---|
Common combinations
- an impending event
- Everyone kept talking about the impending event.
- prepare for an impending event
- The team spent weeks preparing for the impending event.
- the impending event
- Anxiety about the impending event filled the room.
- warn someone about an impending event
- They warned us about the impending event by email.
- a sense of an impending event
- There was a real sense of an impending event in the city.
Synonyms and how they differ
- upcoming event
- 'Upcoming event' is neutral and simply means it is scheduled soon; 'impending event' suggests worry or danger.
- looming event
- 'Looming event' is even stronger and suggests something bad is very close, like a threat.
- coming event
- 'Coming event' is more casual and less urgent than 'impending event'.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: impending event or pending? impending event or upcoming?
impending event vs pending
'Pending' means not yet decided or waiting to be dealt with, as in a pending decision. 'Impending' means about to happen soon, often something bad.
impending event vs upcoming
'Upcoming' is neutral and just means happening soon, while 'impending' carries a feeling of danger or dread.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'impending event' most naturally?
Choose one answer.
'Impending event' refers to something about to happen, often worrying, so stocking up on food before it fits. Option 0 is wrong because 'impending' cannot describe a past pleasant occasion, option 2 is wrong because it describes something already finished, and option 3 uses the phrase as a verb, which is not grammatical.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “impending event”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.