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Synonyms

looming

American  
[loo-ming] / ˈlu mɪŋ /

noun

  1. a mirage in which objects below the horizon seem to be raised above their true positions.

Etymology

Origin of looming

First recorded in 1620–30; loom 2 + -ing 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The upshot is that the Glasgow two are still trailing in Hearts' slipstream while looking over their shoulders at a Motherwell team who are looming large behind them.

From BBC

When the basketball world convened in Los Angeles for the NBA All-Star Game, the main point of discussion wasn’t the upcoming playoffs or the looming trade deadline.

From The Wall Street Journal

The looming cuts at a major office employing some 3,000 administrative staff in the capital are the latest sign of the huge pressures facing Germany's traditional industries.

From Barron's

The wheel felt like a giant eye looming over me.

From Literature

Oil edged lower amid possible position adjustments before looming U.S.-Iran talks.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.