单词 | imminent |
释义 | imminent —imminently, adv. —imminentness, n. /im"euh neuhnt/, adj. 1. likely to occur at any moment; impending: Her death is imminent. 2. projecting or leaning forward; overhanging. [1520-30; < L imminent- (s. of imminens), prp. of imminere to overhang, equiv. to im- IM-1 + -min- from a base meaning "jut out, project, rise" (cf. EMINENT, MOUNT2) + -ent- -ENT] Syn. 1. near, at hand. IMMINENT, IMPENDING, THREATENING all may carry the implication of menace, misfortune, disaster, but they do so in differing degrees. IMMINENT may portend evil: an imminent catastrophe, but also may mean simply "about to happen": The merger is imminent. IMPENDING has a weaker sense of immediacy and threat than IMMINENT: Real tax relief legislation is impending, but it too may be used in situations portending disaster: impending social upheaval; to dread the impending investigation. THREATENING almost always suggests ominous warning and menace: a threatening sky just before the tornado struck. Ant. 1. distant, remote. |
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