impend

verb

im·​pend im-ˈpend How to pronounce impend (audio)
impended; impending; impends

intransitive verb

1
a
: to be about to occur
the impending trial
b
: to hover threateningly : menace
2
archaic : to hang suspended

Examples of impend in a Sentence

for confirmed pessimists some disaster always seems to be impending
Recent Examples on the Web But about half the city’s prewar population of 100,000 still lives here, and there was no visible exodus, despite all the recent warnings of impending doom. Jeffrey Gettleman Finbarr O’Reilly, New York Times, 3 July 2023 Nearly in unison, America’s business class has routinely predicted impending doom for the economy, only to later admit that their forecasts may have been a bit premature. Bywill Daniel, Fortune, 28 June 2023 Wagner’s impending deployment to Belarus has rattled its neighbors. Hanna Arhirova, BostonGlobe.com, 28 June 2023 The veteran Wheel of Fortune cohost is currently in negotiations to stay on the long-running game show after Pat Sajak's impending retirement, EW has confirmed. Lauren Huff, EW.com, 23 June 2023 Conkle says that Milgard has been extremely professional and proactive in keeping Milgard dealers and their customers informed of impending price increases. Barbara Bellesi Zito, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 June 2023 Revolution sporting director/head coach Bruce Arena compared Messi’s impending arrival to Pelé joining the New York Cosmos in 1975 and Beckham the Los Angeles Galaxy, who won two MLS Cup titles with Beckham playing and Arena coaching. Frank Dell'apa, BostonGlobe.com, 7 June 2023 Other agencies followed, with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission filing civil charges against both Binance and Zhao in a stunning 74-page complaint outlining allegations of money laundering in March, amid swirling rumors of impending DOJ charges. Byleo Schwartz, Fortune Crypto, 5 June 2023 Though proclamations of impending doom from artificial intelligence are not new, recent developments in generative AI such as the public-facing tool ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, have infiltrated the public consciousness. Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'impend.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin impendēre, from in- + pendēre to hang — more at pendant

First Known Use

1585, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler
The first known use of impend was in 1585

Dictionary Entries Near impend

Cite this Entry

“Impend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impend. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

impend

verb
im·​pend im-ˈpend How to pronounce impend (audio)
1
: to threaten to occur immediately
impending danger
2
: to be about to happen
an impending trip
3
archaic : to hang out or over

More from Merriam-Webster on impend

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