Meaning of about to | Babel Free

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

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