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imminent

/ˈɪmɪnənt//ˈɪmɪnənt/·adjective
about to happen at any moment; looming
Fig. 1 — A concert hall, the maestro on the podium with the baton thrown up to its very apex, arm cocked, and the whole orchestra frozen with bows raised, breath held.
01Definition

Imminent describes what is almost upon you — from the Latin imminere, 'to overhang', the image of something looming directly overhead. An imminent storm, an imminent deadline, imminent danger: the word is about nearness in time, and it leans ominous, reserved mostly for threats and arrivals we brace for. What is imminent feels not just inevitable but close — the difference between knowing a thing will come and feeling it about to.

02In use
  • iDark clouds and a sudden hush warned that the storm was imminent.
  • iiWith the deadline imminent, the exigency of the moment kept the team working through the night.
  • iiiInvestors who anticipate an imminent downturn are already moving their money.
03Collocations
  • imminent danger
  • an imminent threat
  • imminent collapse
  • appear imminent

Family imminence (noun) · imminently (adverb)

04Relations

=impending, looming, approaching, forthcoming, near

≠distant, remote, far-off

05Compared
PairThe difference
imminent vs eminentan Eminent person has Earned standing; an Imminent event is about to land.
imminent vs inevitableabout to happen at any moment → imminent; certain to happen, avoidable by nothing → inevitable.
06TOEFL & IELTS

Common in TOEFL/IELTS passages on risk, weather, and history — 'imminent threat/danger/collapse'. Don't confuse the look-alikes: 'imminent' (about to happen), 'eminent' (distinguished), and 'immanent' (inherent). In Writing, 'an imminent crisis' adds urgency. It pairs with things we await with concern, not with happy events.

07Asked
Is it 'imminent domain' or 'eminent domain'?
Eminent domain — the government's power to take private property for public use. 'Imminent domain' is a common and understandable error, since the words sound alike, but it is wrong: the term uses eminent, meaning superior or overriding, not imminent (about to happen). If you mean the legal power, it is always eminent domain.
What does 'imminent danger' mean?
Danger that is about to happen at any moment — close in time and usually threatening. It is imminent's most common frame, alongside imminent threat, collapse, and arrival. The scene above is imminence itself: a conductor's baton at its peak, the downbeat a hair from falling, the whole hall braced. The thing is certain and close, but has not landed yet.
What is the difference between imminent and immanent?
Imminent means about to happen (an imminent storm). Immanent, the rarer word, means inherent or indwelling — present throughout something — and lives mostly in philosophy and theology ('an immanent divine presence'). They sound nearly identical but share no meaning: one is about timing, the other about what is built in.
Does 'imminent' always mean something bad?
Almost always, yes — it leans ominous. We speak of imminent danger, imminent collapse, an imminent deadline: things we brace for, not things we look forward to. You would rarely call a wedding or a holiday imminent; for happy events, 'upcoming' or 'approaching' fits better. Imminent carries a shadow of threat.
What is the noun form of imminent?
Imminence — 'the imminence of war', 'a sense of imminence'. It names the quality of being close at hand, and it keeps the ominous lean of the adjective: you feel the imminence of a threat, not of a treat. The adverb imminently means very soon ('the results are due imminently').
What is the difference between imminent and eminent?
The quick tell: imminent means about to happen, eminent means distinguished and respected. They sound close but never overlap. The full contrast, with both animated scenes, is on the eminent vs imminent page in the 'Compared' list above.