Make Your Point > Archived Issues > IMPENDING
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pronounce
IMPENDING:
Say it "im PEN ding."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
As we check out the word impending, see if you can recall a close synonym: something i_min___ is definitely going to happen soon, and you can't avoid it; it looms at you or juts out over you, like a frightening mountain.
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
"Impend" has Latin bits that mean "to hang over."
When something impends, or when it impends over you, it's impending: it seems like it's hanging over you, about to happen, and it's scary or dangerous somehow (or at the very least, it's annoying).
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Most often an adjective: "their impending doom," "this impending war."
We hardly ever use the verb, "impend," but when we do, it's usually intransitive: "The storm impends in the distance;" "Dangers constantly impend over the main characters;" "Barbarism is ever impending over the civilized world (John Henry Newman)."
So why doesn't the verb "impend" get used more often? I'm not sure, but I'm guessing it's because the adjective "impending" is much more useful. "Impending" describes something over an extended stretch of time: impending things stay impending for a while--looming, approaching, hanging over you, making you dread them--until they finally pass. You probably don't need to talk often about things that "impend" for a brief moment.
Other forms:
Impend, impended.
For a noun, pick between "impendence" and "impendency." Both are rare.
There's a rare alternate adjective, too, that sounds formal and literary: "impendent," as in "these impendent horrors" or "a great impendent evil."
how to use it:
Pick the formal, common word "impending" to describe all kinds of gloomy, serious, dangerous, frightening events that are on their way.
You might talk about impending storms, attacks, accidents, arguments, breakups, crises, catastrophes, etc.
Occasionally, "impending" takes on a less gloom-and-doom tone to describe upcoming events that are just annoying, complicated, or out of the ordinary, as in "impending auto repairs" or "these impending changes to the hospital's record-keeping system."
Very rarely, you'll see "impending" used with a positive tone: "an impending triumph," "this impending wedding." (Pro tip: don't describe your wedding as "impending" to your fiancé.)
examples:
"The air is heavy with an impending storm, and my head is throbbing."
— Vesper Stamper, What the Night Sings, 2018
"Henry's hands are shaking, his breaths coming shallow, and Alex knows the signs, the low hum of an impending panic attack."
— Casey McQuiston, Red, White & Royal Blue, 2019
has this page helped you understand "impending"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "impending" without saying "menacing" or "approaching."
try it out:
In the novel A Single Shard, Linda Sue Park wrote, "All went about their work with their faces tighter, as if the news of the emissary's impending visit had pulled the string of village life taut."
Talk about what she means. Why would this person's visit be "impending" instead of just "upcoming" or "approaching"? What's the difference? Can you think of an upcoming event in your own life that you'd describe as "impending"?
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game for this month is Rhyming Puzzles!
I'll give you a description of something, and you name it in a rhyming phrase.
Longtime readers will recognize this game from years past, when we grappled with silly answers like "shopworn popcorn," "hidebound guide hound," "cow chow kowtow," "unflagging pun bragging," and "catch-as-catch-can Etch A Sketch fan."
The answers will get longer as the month goes on. To see the clue, click the link. To see the answer, scroll all the way down. Enjoy!
Try this one today:
Someone--NOT you--has taken a big bite out of a cookie and returned said cookie to the jar. You demonstrate your innocence by pointing out how the bite marks are a mismatch for your own teeth. This demonstration is your ___________ ___________.
Two words, four syllables each.
Clue: use the noun form of this word.
review this word:
A. KILLING, WRECKING, and DECIMATING.
B. STRETCHING, SWELLING, and DISTENDING.
C. DEPARTING, WITHDRAWING, and DISSIPATING.
2.
You're likely to use the adjective "impending" before nouns like _____
A. "doom," "death," and "collapse."
B. "hero," "courage," and "sacrifice."
C. "wage," "earnings," and "sustenance."
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
On vocabulary...
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.
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A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
As we check out the word impending, see if you can recall a close synonym: something i_min___ is definitely going to happen soon, and you can't avoid it; it looms at you or juts out over you, like a frightening mountain.
"Impend" has Latin bits that mean "to hang over."
Part of speech:
Pick the formal, common word "impending" to describe all kinds of gloomy, serious, dangerous, frightening events that are on their way.
"The air is heavy with an impending storm, and my head is throbbing."
Explain the meaning of "impending" without saying "menacing" or "approaching."
In the novel A Single Shard, Linda Sue Park wrote, "All went about their work with their faces tighter, as if the news of the emissary's impending visit had pulled the string of village life taut."
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. |