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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

in the offing en · ADP

Pronunciation

Meanings

  1. (literally, of a ship, qualifier:landmass, usually) 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.
    • Presently a rioting noise was heard without. Starting up, the landlord cried, "That's the Grampus's crew. I seed her reported in the offing this morning; a three years' voyage, and a full ship. Hurrah, boys; now we'll have the latest news from the Feegees." 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, chapter 3, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 15:
    • 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. 1900, James George Frazer, The Golden Bough, volume 3, page 252:
  2. (figuratively) Soon to come; likely to happen; in the foreseeable future; projected to occur; on the horizon; in the wind.
    • The Ship of the Spring in the offing at last! / Oh, rude blew the hindering gales, / But perfumes entrancing, the danger o'erpast, / Are wafted afar, from her sails! 1917 May 14, Florence Van Leer Earle Coates, “In the Offing”, in The Minaret:
    • He has a happy home life, two sitcoms on the go and a new book in the offing. So why is the comedian, actor and Observer columnist still so crotchety? 2019 November 3, Andrew Anthony, “David Mitchell: ‘I have no reason to have these apocalyptic musings’”, in The Observer, →ISSN:
    • 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! 1850, Sylvester Breakmore Beckett, The Portland Reference Book and City Directory:
    • 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. 2014 August 8, Rupert Christiansen, “The truth about falsettos”, in The Daily Telegraph (Review):
    • The serious end of tech has never made the dash from northern to southern California that is forever in the offing. 2025 June 21, Janan Ganesh, “How Los Angeles made the modern world”, in FT Weekend (Life & Arts section), London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 22:
  3. (idiomatic) At a distance, but visible.
    • 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. 1919, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, “Leave it to Jeeves”, in My Man Jeeves, London: George Newnes:

Synonyms

imminent

Translations (12)

cmn 在不遠的將來 /在不远的将来 (in the foreseeable future; on the horizon) · ru не за гора́ми (in the foreseeable future; on the horizon) · nl in het verschiet (in the foreseeable future; on the horizon) · fi tiedossa (in the foreseeable future; on the horizon) · pl na horyzoncie (in the foreseeable future; on the horizon) · ja 近い未来に (in the foreseeable future; on the horizon) · fr en perspective (in the foreseeable future; on the horizon) · fi tulossa (in the foreseeable future; on the horizon) · cs na obzoru (in the foreseeable future; on the horizon) · ru в ближа́йшем бу́дущем (in the foreseeable future; on the horizon) · de in Aussicht (in the foreseeable future; on the horizon) · fr à l'horizon (in the foreseeable future; on the horizon)