impende

Impende is a verb of Latin origin meaning to hang over, to threaten, or to be imminent. It is formed from the root pendere, “to hang, weigh,” with the prefix in- reinforcing the sense of direction or pressure. In Classical Latin, impendere describes something that looms over a person or situation or that threatens to happen, often with a sense of danger, obligation, or weighty consequence. The infinitive is impendere, with various tense forms such as impendo and impendēre appearing in different contexts.

In Latin usage, impendere can be literal, referring to something physically hanging over, or figurative, describing impending danger, obligation, or pressure bearing down on someone. It can convey immediacy or inevitability in events or circumstances.

In modern English, impende is extremely rare and is chiefly encountered in scholarly discussions, translations of Latin texts, or works aiming for classical diction. The standard modern English verb with a similar sense is impend, and the corresponding participial adjective impending is used to describe something that is about to occur. The form impended exists in older or more archaic prose but is not common in contemporary usage.

Usage examples: In Latin, Periculum impendet (Danger looms). In English, a storm impends, though more natural phrasing would typically use impending or looming, such as “an impending storm looms on the horizon.” Impende thus remains a historical or literary note rather than a living synonym in contemporary English.