Imminent means about to happen very soon, often with a sense of urgency or threat. It suggests that something is close in time and likely unavoidable.
From Latin "imminens" meaning "overhanging, threatening," from "im-" (upon) and "minere" (to project, threaten). The image is of something hanging right above you, ready to fall.
Imminent danger feels different from distant danger because your body flips into emergency mode—faster heart, sharper focus. Our brains often misjudge what’s truly imminent, worrying about rare events while ignoring slow-moving threats like climate change.
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