Looming — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb adjective

Meaning & Definition of Looming

Looming (verb)

  1. to come into sight in enlarged or distorted and indistinct form often as a result of atmospheric conditions
  2. to appear in an impressively great or exaggerated form
  3. to take shape as an impending occurrence

Looming (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. giving signs of immediate occurrence

    "some economists see a looming collapse of the stock market"

    similar: imminent, impending, pending, threatening, around the corner
    related: approaching, coming, forthcoming, future, near, nearing, oncoming, upcoming, brewing, gathering, likely, possible, probable, inevitable, unavoidable, apocalyptic, lowering, menacing, ominous, portentous, anticipated, awaited, expected, foreseen, predicted
    near: distant, far-off, remote, eventual, ultimate, bygone, former, past, late, recent

Looming (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to be about to happen

    "he tried to take a proactive approach to dealing with the problems that loomed ahead"

    similar: brewing, impending
    related: advancing, approaching, closing in, drawing on, gathering, nearing, hanging, hovering, lowering, menacing, overhanging, threatening
    near: abating, declining, de-escalating, diminishing, disappearing, dwindling, dying down, ebbing, fading, falling, lessening, letting up, lowering, moderating, receding, relenting, remitting, shrinking, subsiding, tapering, tapering off, vanishing, waning, falling back, passing, retreating, withdrawing

Related Entry: Loom (verb)

Loom is a different word from Looming. The synonyms below are for loom, not for looming.

  1. to be about to happen

    "he tried to take a proactive approach to dealing with the problems that loomed ahead"

    similar: brew, impend
    related: advance, approach, close in, draw on, gather, near, hang, hover, lower, menace, overhang, threaten
    near: abate, decline, de-escalate, die down, diminish, disappear, dwindle, ebb, fade, fall, lessen, let up, lower, moderate, recede, relent, remit, shrink, subside, taper, taper off, vanish, wane, fall back, pass, retreat, withdraw

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Looming

The most common words with a similar meaning to Looming:

imminent, impending, pending, threatening, around the corner, brewing

Related Words for Looming

approaching, coming, forthcoming, future, near, nearing, oncoming, upcoming, gathering, likely, possible, probable, inevitable, unavoidable, apocalyptic, lowering, menacing, ominous, portentous, anticipated, awaited, expected, foreseen, predicted, advancing, closing in, drawing on, hanging, hovering, overhanging

Near Antonyms of Looming

distant, far-off, remote, eventual, ultimate, bygone, former, past, late, recent, abating, declining, de-escalating, diminishing, disappearing, dwindling, dying down, ebbing, fading, falling, lessening, letting up, lowering, moderating, receding, relenting, remitting, shrinking, subsiding, tapering

Word Forms of Looming

Inflections: loomed, looms

Origin & Etymology of Looming

origin unknown

First known use: circa 1541

Frequently Asked Questions about Looming

What does "Looming" mean?

"Looming" means to come into sight in enlarged or distorted and indistinct form often as a result of atmospheric conditions. As an a verb and an adjective, it is defined as: to come into sight in enlarged or distorted and indistinct form often as a result of atmospheric conditions. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Looming"?

Other words for "Looming" include imminent, impending, pending, threatening, around the corner and brewing. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Looming" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Looming"?

There are 36 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Looming". Common alternatives include imminent, impending, pending, threatening, around the corner and brewing.

How do you use "Looming" in a sentence?

Examples of "Looming" in a sentence: "some economists see a looming collapse of the stock market"; "he tried to take a proactive approach to dealing with the problems that loomed ahead".

Is "Looming" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Looming" can be used as a verb and an adjective, depending on the context.

What is the origin of the word "Looming"?

"Looming" comes from origin unknown. First known use: circa 1541.

What is another word for "Looming" meaning "giving signs of immediate occurrence"?

When "Looming" (adjective) means giving signs of immediate occurrence, synonyms include imminent, impending, pending, threatening and around the corner.

What is another word for "Looming" meaning "to be about to happen"?

When "Looming" (verb) means to be about to happen, synonyms include brewing and impending.