About to happen very soon, often with a sense of seriousness or worry.
From Latin 'impending' from 'impendere' meaning 'to hang over', from 'in-' (upon) and 'pendere' (to hang). It first described something literally hanging over you.
An impending event is one that’s ‘hanging over’ you, like a weight you can see but can’t stop. That’s why we often use it for storms, deadlines, or danger. The image is physical, even when the event is not.
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