Incoming

/ˈɪnkʌmɪŋ/

adjectiveBeginner📊CommonMovement
2 meanings1 idiom/phrase3 questions

Definitions

2 meanings
1

Moving or coming in; arriving.

/ˈɪnkʌmɪŋ/

adjectiveneutralBeginner
Movement

Arriving or about to arrive

The incoming tide covered the beach.

💡 Simply: Imagine you're waiting for a text message from your friend. The message is INCOMING! It's about to arrive.

👶 For kids: Coming toward you!

More Examples

2

We prepared for the incoming storm.

3

The company announced the incoming CEO.

4

Incoming calls are displayed on the screen.

How It's Used

General Usage

"The incoming train will arrive at platform 3."

Military

"Incoming fire forced the soldiers to take cover."

Business

"The incoming president will address the nation soon."

2

Something that is arriving or about to arrive, typically used in a context of threat or new information.

/ˈɪnkʌmɪŋ/

nounneutralmedium
Event

Something that is arriving or coming in

The system is designed to handle large amounts of incoming traffic.

💡 Simply: Imagine a fire alarm going off. The *incoming* is the sound that tells you something is wrong. It's the immediate event or signal of something.

👶 For kids: Something that is coming to you.

More Examples

2

The soldiers braced themselves for the incoming.

How It's Used

Military

"The soldiers prepared for the incoming artillery fire."

Communications

"We need to filter the incoming data to prevent overload."

Finance

"The incoming revenue will boost the company's profits."

Tip:Think of 'incoming' as the *event* happening, like artillery fire or data. The *thing* that is coming in.

Idioms & expressions

incoming mail

Letters, packages, and other mail received at a specific location

"She checks her incoming mail every morning to review important documents."

From 'in' (meaning 'in' or 'into') + 'coming' (present participle of 'come'). The word's evolution reflects the physical movement or arrival of something or someone.

The word 'incoming' has been used since the 18th century, initially to describe something moving towards a place or person. Its use broadened over time with technological advancements.

Memory tip

Think of a package that is INCOMING, it's on its way!

Word Origin

LanguageOld English
Original meaning

"The root word 'cuman' is Germanic in origin, meaning 'to come,' or 'to approach.'"

incoming callincoming tideincoming dataincoming fireincoming mailincoming CEO

Common misspellings

incommingincomming

Usage

60%Spoken
40%Written