about to

Definitions

1. Indicates something that will happen very soon; indicates action that is imminent; ready to; went to
   idiomatic, verb, with-infinitive
2. Indicates that one has no intention of doing the stated thing at any time in the future.
   Canada, informal
3. Indicates that one is preparing or planning to do the stated thing at some time in the future, not necessarily imminently.
   obsolete

Equivalents

26 more languages

العربيةعلى وشك

Bosanskiar

Cymraegâr

Danskvære ved at

Esperantobaldaŭ

Gaeilgear tí

Galegopara

Hrvatskiar

Magyarkészül

Հայերենպատրաստվել

Italianoin procinto distare persul punto di

日本語... ところまさに...しようとしている所

ភាសាខ្មែរស្ទើរតែ

한국어(으)려고 하다

Kurdîarsap

Lietuviųgreitaiketintiruoštistuoj+ 1 more

Latviešutuvu

Te Reo Māorihonowhano

Nederlandsop het punt staan te

Polskiwłaśniezaraz

Portuguêsa ponto deno limiar deprestes a

Русскийсобира́ться

Српскиar

ไทยกำลังจะ

Türkçeüzereüzeri

Tiếng Việtsắp

Examples

“He's standing at the edge, and I think⟳ he's about to jump⟳.”

“She seemed about to say⟳ something.”

“And when Paul was now about to open⟳ his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter⟳ of wrong or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews, reason⟳ would that I should bear⟳ with you:”

“I was about to say⟳ that I had known the Celebrity from the time he wore kilts. But I see⟳ I will have⟳ to amend that, because he was not a celebrity then, nor, indeed, did he achieve⟳ fame until some time after I left New York for the West.”

“I had travelled one morning down to Aylesbury, and had left my train⟳, and was about to cross the footbridge, when I heard the imperious whistle of a "B1." I paused, and round the bend⟳ came the "Master Cutler" with its engine working absolutely flat out.”

“I'm not about to let⟳ the lockdown stop⟳ me from going to the beach every day.”

“I'm not about to wander⟳ around at night to find⟳ it.”

CEFR level