in the offing

prepositional phrase

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.

“There were several small islands in the offing.”

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imminent
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Meanings

prepositional phrase
  1. literallyusuallylandmassWithin 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.

    There were several small islands in the offing.

    3 more examples

    They could see that the ship was waiting 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. figurativelySoon to come; likely to happen; in the foreseeable future; projected to occur; on the horizon; in the wind.

    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
    4 more examples

    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

    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 28, Florence Van Leer Earle Coates, “In the Offing”, in The Minaret

    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)

    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

    Synonyms: imminent

  3. idiomaticAt 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 & antonyms

prepositional phraseSoon to come; likely to happen; in the foreseeable future; projected to occur; on the horizon; in the wind.

Similar
imminent
Also see
around the cornerforthcomingimminentimpendentimpendinginstantpendingproximateto cometoward

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 在不遠的將來 /在不远的将来
  • 在不遠的將來 /在不远的将来 (zài bù yuǎn de jiānglái)in the foreseeable future; on the horizon
Czech na obzoru
  • na obzoruin the foreseeable future; on the horizon
Dutch in het verschiet
  • in het verschietin the foreseeable future; on the horizon
Finnish tulossa, tiedossa
  • tulossain the foreseeable future; on the horizon
  • tiedossain the foreseeable future; on the horizon
French en perspective, à l'horizon
  • en perspectivein the foreseeable future; on the horizon
  • à l'horizonin the foreseeable future; on the horizon
German in Aussicht
  • in Aussichtin the foreseeable future; on the horizon
Japanese 近い未来に
  • 近い未来に (chikai mirai ni)in the foreseeable future; on the horizon
Polish na horyzoncie
  • na horyzonciein the foreseeable future; on the horizon
Russian в ближа́йшем бу́дущем, не за гора́ми
  • в ближа́йшем бу́дущем (v bližájšem búduščem)in the foreseeable future; on the horizon
  • не за гора́ми (ne za gorámi)in the foreseeable future; on the horizon
Cite this entry
APA

in the offing. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20the%20offing

MLA

“in the offing.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20the%20offing. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “in the offing,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20the%20offing.

Source: in the offing on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.