incoming
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /ˈɪnkʌmˌɪŋ/
US
- /ˈɪnˌkəmɪŋ/
Description
- approaching
- arriving
- entering
- on the way
- about to reach
"Incoming!" is a shout you may hear when something is heading toward you fast, often something dangerous. But the word is not only used for emergencies. It can simply mean that something is on the way, such as a package, a storm, a message, or new information. It gives the sense that something is moving closer and will reach you soon.
The tone depends on the situation. It can sound urgent in a warning like "Incoming missile!" or neutral in phrases like "incoming mail" or "incoming calls." In work settings, people also use it for things that are being received, such as incoming orders, incoming data, or incoming requests.
"Incoming" describes something that is coming toward a place, a person, or a system and is expected to arrive soon. In some cases, it is used as a warning, especially when something dangerous is moving toward you quickly. That is why people may shout "Incoming!" in military scenes or other high-pressure moments.
Outside those urgent cases, the word is also common in everyday and professional English. People speak of incoming mail, incoming calls, incoming flights, incoming messages, or incoming data. In each case, the idea is the same: something has not fully arrived yet, but it is on the way in. A business might talk about incoming orders or incoming requests, meaning things they are receiving from customers or clients.
The word can also describe a person or group that is about to take on a role or join a place, such as an incoming president, an incoming class, or incoming students. Here, the meaning is slightly extended, but the basic idea still holds: they are the next ones to arrive or begin.
Overall, the word carries a feeling of approach and near arrival. Sometimes that feeling is serious, sometimes neutral, and sometimes playful. The context tells you which meaning is intended, but the core idea stays steady: something or someone is on the way in.
Examples
- 1
Phone calls
Please keep the line free for incoming calls.
- 2
Customer support
Our support team answers all incoming emails within one business day.
- 3
Digital messages
The app can block incoming messages from unknown numbers.
- 4
Air travel
Because of the storm, several incoming flights were delayed.
- 5
New students
The university is building more housing for incoming students.
- 6
Political transition
The incoming president promised to review the policy in her first week.
- 7
Military danger
The soldiers took cover when they came under incoming fire.
Domain
incoming fire
bullets, rockets, or shells being shot toward you
Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- incomingnounadjective
Forms
- incomingspluralnounadjective