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in the offing. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
in the offing, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
in the offing in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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English
Pronunciation
Prepositional phrase
in the offing
- (literally, of a ship, landmass, etc.) Within the area of the sea known as the offing; at a considerable distance from land, but visible from shore, often in reference to an approaching ship.
They could see that the ship was waiting in the offing.
There were several small islands in the offing.
1900, James George Frazer, The Golden Bough, volume 3, page 252:If the ship that bore the sacred flame arrived too soon, it might not put in to shore, but had to cruise in the offing till the nine days were expired.
- (idiomatic) Soon to come; likely to happen; in the foreseeable future; projected to occur; on the horizon; in the wind.
1850, Sylvester Breakmore Beckett, The Portland Reference Book and City Directory:We have known wives to forget that they had husbands…, especially when they supposed that a tax bill or a notification to do military duty might be in the offing!
2014 August 8, Rupert Christiansen, “The truth about falsettos”, in The Daily Telegraph (Review), [print version: 12 August 2014, p. R8]:He [countertenor Anthony Roth Constanzo] also enjoys being the catalyst whereby opera fertilises other art forms: recently, he's collaborated with Japanese kabuki actors, and a project with dancers from New York City Ballet is in the offing.
- (idiomatic) At a distance, but visible.
1919, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, My Man Jeeves:The moment I saw the man standing there, registering respectful attention, a weight seemed to roll off my mind. I felt like a lost child who spots his father in the offing. There was something about him that gave me confidence.
Synonyms
Translations
in the foreseeable future; on the horizon
See also