Standard Lemma guide

approaching

adj · adv · noun · verb · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American: /əˈpɹoʊt͡ʃɪŋ/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /əˈpɹəʊt͡ʃɪŋ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -əʊtʃɪŋ
  • CMU ARPABET: AH0 P R OW1 CH IH0 NG Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

That approaches or approach.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • the approaching armies

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adv

Meaning 2

Nearly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The act of coming closer; an approach.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

present participle and gerund of approach

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, gerund, participle, present

Examples

  • The army was approaching from the north.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

of the relatively near future

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the approaching election
  • this coming Thursday
  • the forthcoming holidays
  • the upcoming spring fashions

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: coming(a), forthcoming, upcoming

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

the act of drawing spatially closer to something

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the hunter's approach scattered the geese

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: approach, coming

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: motion, movement, move

Narrower terms: access, closing, closure, landing approach, run-up

7

noun

Meaning 7

the temporal property of becoming nearer in time

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the approach of winter

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: approach, coming

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: timing

8

noun

Meaning 8

the event of one object coming closer to another

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: approach

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: movement, motion

History

Etymology

By surface analysis, approach + -ing.

Across languages

Translations

22 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: afrohet — that approaches or approach
  • Esperanto: aliranta — that approaches or approach
  • Finnish: lähestyvä — that approaches or approach
  • Italian: avvicinamento — that approaches or approach
  • Eastern Mari: лишыл (ĺišyl) — that approaches or approach
  • Nahuatl: ullaçic — that approaches or approach
  • Portuguese: aproximante — that approaches or approach
  • Portuguese: aproximador — that approaches or approach
  • Spanish: acercador — that approaches or approach
  • Spanish: acercante — that approaches or approach
  • Finnish: lähes — nearly
  • Albanian: afrim — act of coming closer — see also approach
  • Belarusian: прыбліжэ́нне (prybližénnje) — act of coming closer — see also approach
  • Belarusian: набліжэ́нне (nabližénnje) — act of coming closer — see also approach
  • Finnish: lähestyminen — act of coming closer — see also approach
  • French: approche — act of coming closer — see also approach
  • German: Annäherung — act of coming closer — see also approach
  • Hebrew: להתקרב (LeHitkarev) — act of coming closer — see also approach
  • Hungarian: közeledés — act of coming closer — see also approach
  • Hungarian: közelgés — act of coming closer — see also approach
  • Russian: приближе́ние (približénije) — act of coming closer — see also approach
  • Ukrainian: набли́ження (nablýžennja) — act of coming closer — see also approach
Real reading context

approaching in complete knowledge articles