offing
pronunciation
How to pronounce offing in British English:
UK [ˈɒfɪŋ]
How to pronounce offing in American English:
US [ˈɔfɪŋ]
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- Noun:
- the near or foreseeable future
- the part of the sea that can be seen from the shore and is beyond the anchoring area
Word Origin
- offing (n.)
- in phrase in the offing, 1779, from nautical term offing "the more distant part of the sea as seen from the shore" (1620s), from off (q.v.) + noun suffix -ing (1). Originally the phrase meant "in the distant future;" modern sense of "impending" developed 1914.
Example
- 1. A more punishing round of violence between israel and palestine may be in the offing .
- 2. With another election in the offing , india 's politicians are not rushing to sign a new world trade deal .
- 3. Israel has also hinted that as reward for the current proximity talks more territorial extensions could be in the offing .
- 4. Hikes in green and capital-gains taxes are also in the offing .
- 5. There are few visible signs of a mass uprising in the offing .