What does impending mean?
Word: Impending
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Impending means about to happen very soon. It is often used for something important or unwelcome that is on its way, such as a storm, a deadline or a big change.
Synonyms: imminent, forthcoming
Antonyms: remote
How do you spell impending?
Syllables: im - pend - ing
Tricky part: The n in the middle is easy to swallow when the word is said fast. Leave it out and you have written impeding, a different word that means getting in the way.
Watch out for: impinding, impendeing
Memory tip: The loud middle beat of the word is pen, the thing you write with. Write the whole pen and the n cannot go missing.
Impending in a sentence
Example 1: A notice in the school hall listed the impending changes to the timetable.
Example 2: With the science fair impending, Kabir spent every evening testing his model volcano.
Example 3: The town was buzzing with news of the impending opening of the new swimming pool.
Fun Fact
It goes back to the Latin impendere, to hang over, and an impending event is still often described as looming or hanging over people.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
impendding
a) m
b) i
c) d
d) g
Show answer
c) d. Only one d sits between the n and the i; take the second one away and the word is right.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one of these words is misspelt. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word:
1. meticulous 2. resilient 3. spacious 4. empending
a) having plenty of room inside
b) able to recover quickly after a setback
c) on the point of taking place
d) very careful about every small detail
Show answer
c) on the point of taking place. Resilient, meticulous and spacious are spelt correctly; empending should begin with i, so its meaning is the one wanted.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word impending as used in the sentence:
The swallows gathering on the telephone wires were a sure sign of the impending change of season.
a) distant
b) approaching
c) previous
d) sudden
Show answer
b) approaching. The swallows gather because the new season is drawing near, so approaching is the word that matches.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Ananya heard the rumble of impending thunder during her picnic. What did she most likely do next?
a) lay back to enjoy the clear blue sky
b) put on more sun cream for the afternoon
c) spread out the blanket for a long nap
d) packed up quickly and headed for shelter
Show answer
d) packed up quickly and headed for shelter
2. Which of these would a newspaper be most likely to call impending?
a) a cup final that starts tomorrow
b) a cup final that was played last year
c) a cup final that nobody has planned yet
d) a cup final that was cancelled for good
Show answer
a) a cup final that starts tomorrow
