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imminent meaning and examples

2025-09-07

Meaning

Imminent means something is about to happen very soon, often with a sense of urgency or inevitability. It can refer to both positive and negative events, but is frequently used for dangers or threats.

Grammar and Usage

  • Part of speech: adjective
  • Usage: used before a noun to describe an event or situation that is expected to occur shortly.
  • Common structure: imminent danger, imminent arrival, imminent collapse.

Common Phrases

  • Imminent danger
  • Imminent threat
  • Imminent arrival
  • Imminent disaster
  • Imminent decision

Collocations

  • Adjective + Noun: imminent war, imminent crisis, imminent storm
  • Verb + imminent: face imminent danger, await imminent news

Examples

  1. The soldiers prepared for the imminent attack.
  2. Dark clouds signaled the imminent storm.
  3. Her promotion seemed imminent after the successful project.
  4. The building was evacuated due to the imminent risk of collapse.
  5. The company is on the verge of imminent bankruptcy.
  6. The arrival of the guests is imminent, so we must finish preparing.
  7. Scientists warned about the imminent eruption of the volcano.
  8. His resignation was imminent, given the recent scandals.
  • Impending
  • Approaching
  • Looming
  • Forthcoming
  • Upcoming

Antonym

  • Distant
  • Remote
  • Unlikely
  • Far-off