incombere
to loom
verb een-KOM-beh-reh Rare
Origin: Latin incumbere (to press upon, to lie on).
Also means
to be incumbent
Usage Note
Incombere is an intransitive verb used with su — un pericolo incombe su di noi (a danger looms over us). It is most common in the present or imperfect and rarely forms compound tenses. It is more literary than minacciare and specifically conveys an impending, hovering threat rather than an active one.
Examples
"Un pericolo incombe sulla città."
Natural Translation
A danger looms over the city.

Free starter pack
Building your Italian vocabulary?
Get the 100 most common Italian words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.
Related Words
Explore Italian by topic