Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A coming vaguely into view.
  • noun A form of mirage in which distant objects, usually across water, appear abnormally elevated above their true positions, this displacement being accompanied in many cases by a vertical magnification.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The indistinct and magnified appearance of objects seen in particular states of the atmosphere. See mirage.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb Present participle of loom.

Etymologies

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Examples

  • Ba's evident pleasure in life on Tyneside is spiced by seeing his name looming large in the Premier League scoring charts alongside rather more vaunted peers such as Sergio Agüero, Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie.

    Demba Ba believes fun is the key to fizzing for Newcastle United | Louise Taylor 2011

  • The witness said Jackson is facing hundreds of millions of dollars of debt and what he called a looming financial crisis.

    CNN Transcript May 3, 2005 2005

  • Marais said the board was also concerned about the language issue in tertiary institutions, and warned urgent steps had to be taken to avert what she called a looming explosion.

    ANC Daily News Briefing 1997

  • The are embracing the right, where retired army and police generals are promising a disciplined counter to what they call the looming chaos of majority rule.

    ANC Daily News Briefing 1993

  • Muammar el-Qaddafi nine days ago, Mr. Obama said the United States had the responsibility and the international backing to stop what he characterized as a looming genocide in the Libyan city of Benghazi.

    NYT > Home Page By HELENE COOPER 2011

  • The FCC chief reiterated what he characterized as a looming crisis in broadband service for the country as more consumers use data volume-heavy wireless devices such as iPhones and wireless laptops.

    Variety.com 2010

  • Terry Branstad State Auditor David Vaudt stopped in Fairfield Wednesday to discuss what they call the looming "revenue cliff," and what the state needs to do to avoid it.

    The Ottumwa Courier Homepage 2010

  • Terry Branstad State Auditor David Vaudt stopped in Fairfield Wednesday to discuss what they call the looming "revenue cliff," and what the state needs to do to avoid it.

    The Ottumwa Courier Homepage 2010

  • Haiti is appealing for international aid to avoid what it calls a looming collapse.

    Democracy Now! 2009

  • Brown moved to the state budget crisis, which he described as looming over already strapped local governments.

    Tahoe Daily Tribune - Top Stories By Scott Neuffer 2009

Comments

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  • My adjectival use: 'They had not studied for the looming exams.'

    August 22, 2011