impendingim‧pend‧ing /ɪmˈpendɪŋ/ adjective 
She had a sense of impending disaster. impending changes in government legislation
WORD ORIGINimpending
Origin:
1500-1600 Latin impendere ‘to hang over’, from pendere ‘to hang’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Extra troops were usually a sign of an impending attack.
- She met with her husband to discuss their impending divorce.
- warnings of an impending ecological disaster
- We were sorry to hear about Arlene's impending divorce.
- An index with cards for species brought order to impending chaos.
- Further impending changes in government legislation may make the pressure experienced during the social security changes seem almost normal.
- Her independence was further underlined by an impending marriage, news of which she now shared with Taheb.
- Nothing, she told herself, could be worse than this uncertainty, this sense of impending disaster.
- The first the trainer knew of the impending purchase was when a fax from Minton was found in his office last Wednesday.
- This tendency to associate - designed to warn us of impending danger-can in fact work against us.
- When they want to see fees generally jacked up, we get talk of impending evictions.
Longman Language Activatorwhen something unpleasant is going to happen soon
if a problem or difficulty looms , it is likely to happen soon: · As the day of my interview loomed, I became increasingly nervous.· With the prospect of bankruptcy looming, life is getting tough for small businesses.
if something dangerous or unpleasant hangs over you, it is likely to happen soon and this makes you feel worried and nervous: · The threat of nuclear war hangs over mankind.· With the court case hanging over us, we couldn't enjoy our vacation.
if problems, difficulties, arguments etc are brewing , they are starting to develop and will probably happen soon: · Union bosses fear that a strike is brewing in the coal industry.· A major political row over the European question had been brewing for some time.
an impending event or situation, especially an unpleasant one, is going to happen very soon: · Extra troops were usually a sign of an impending attack.· We were sorry to hear about Arlene's impending divorce.· warnings of an impending ecological disaster
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY She had a sense of impending disaster. impending changes in government legislationCOLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
an impending event or situation, especially an unpleasant one, is going to happen very soonimpending danger/doom/death/disaster etc She had a sense of impending disaster. impending changes in government legislation (=one that is going to happen soon)· She had a sense of impending disaster.
(=likely to happen soon)· With a terrible sense of impending doom, he opened the door and went in.
(=likely to happen soon)· The ban on hunting was introduced to stop the imminent extinction of some big game animals.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN· The impending changes arise from a worldwide desire to streamline and standardize international trading procedures.· Further impending changes in government legislation may make the pressure experienced during the social security changes seem almost normal.· His absences, and an impending change, forced her to face her own feelings.· Rumours about impending changes will occur anyway, and staff not fully informed are likely to fear the worst.
· It lasted about a minute before fading and they both sensed a feeling of impending danger.· It was this radar-like scanning of the night around him, which warned him of a new impending danger.· Fear is an emotional state of mind, caused by a sense of impending danger or pain.· Capability is not a feeling you get, and you rather feel, even from the beginning, an impending danger.· He realised the impending danger and looked up the road where he saw a Morris Minor coming down the hill.
· Both catch the film's elegiac mood, bathed in southern sunshine but overhung with impending death.· The news of his impending death had badly ruffled his composure.
· Nothing, she told herself, could be worse than this uncertainty, this sense of impending disaster.· Earlier on, they had sensed impending disaster.
· And my pounding heart served to give me a feeling of impending doom.· Thomas looked over the marshlands which showed no sign of impending doom.· He has already received warnings of his own impending doom so is lost in his own thoughts, fears and anxieties.
She had a sense of impending disaster. impending changes in government legislation