Word: imminent (adjective)

Associations

"Imminent" means something that is going to happen very soon, almost immediately. It often refers to events or situations that are about to occur and cannot be avoided.

• The storm is imminent. (The storm will start very soon.)
• The doctor warned that surgery was imminent. (The surgery will happen very soon.)
• There was an imminent danger of flooding. (The flood was about to happen.)

Synonym: "impending" is a close synonym, meaning something is about to happen. The difference is "imminent" often feels more urgent or immediate, while "impending" can sometimes imply something slightly further away in time.

Substitution

You can replace "imminent" with words like:

• "about to happen"
• "close"
• "near"
• "forthcoming"

For example: "The arrival of the guests is imminent" could be "The arrival of the guests is about to happen."

Deconstruction

"Imminent" comes from Latin "imminentem," from "imminere," meaning "to overhang" or "to be near." The prefix "im-" means "upon" or "towards," and the root "minere" relates to projecting or leaning over. So, "imminent" literally means something hanging over you, about to happen.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a situation in your life where something imminent caused you to act quickly?
• How does knowing something is imminent affect your feelings or decisions?
• Can you use "imminent" to describe positive events, or is it mostly for warnings or dangers? Why?