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Glite Dictionary
on the horizon

on the horizon

72 3.8
About to happen soon or visible where the sky meets the sea
  • idiom
translation icon : a la vista
  • There are several exciting opportunities on the horizon for recent graduates.
  • looming on the horizon
  • appear on the horizon
  • changes on the horizon

Because a new day is no longer on the horizon.

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Examples

  • Perhaps the most promising policy on the horizon is electronic pricing of roadway use.

    Academic text (2003)

  • You wonder, is there any hope on the horizon?

    Eddie (1996)

  • Lots of great stuff on the horizon.

    Maps to the Stars (2014)

  • Finally, looking toward the future, what is on the horizon for vehicles and their effects on the environment?

    Academic text (2003)

  • If a new computer is on the horizon, keep such requirements in mind.

    Academic text (2001)

  • But, you know, with Thanksgiving on the horizon, I do want to just say what I am grateful for here.

  • Unfortunately, after two decades, war clouds appear to be gathering on the horizon again.

    Academic text (1995)

  • Changes with unforeseen consequences may also be on the horizon in Taipei.

    Academic text (2002)

  • Vacation is shimmering on the horizon, a beautiful mirage of leisure.

    Academic text (2015)

  • The ideology of "living well," or vivir bien, is oft-mentioned, but what is on the horizon are drilling derricks.

    Academic text (2012)

Synonyms

in the offing
vson the horizon
8 5.6

Likely to happen soon

also means likely soon but can also refer to the visible boundary
to loom on the horizon
vson the horizon
3 6.8

To seem likely to happen soon and cause worry

is used for likely events without the worried or threatening tone

Antonyms

a thing of the past
  • Informal
29 3.8

Something that people do not use or think about anymore

out of sight
12 3.4

Kept where you cannot see it

How Soon

imminent
168 4.8
on the horizon
72 3.8
approaching
11 2.7
future
∞ 2.3

Surface Forms

on the horizon positive

Morphology

on + the + horizon

The phrase literally places something 'on' the visible 'horizon', so the image of proximity at the edge of view naturally extends to temporal imminence; a learner who knows 'on' and 'horizon' can infer that an event described this way is near or likely to appear soon. This locative-to-temporal mapping is common across languages and follows a standard compositional pattern, making the meaning predictable to B1 learners.

Etymology

On the horizon comes from the image of a ship or island that first shows up at the line where the sky meets the sea, the horizon. So, when something is on the horizon, it means 'likely to happen soon' because it is just appearing in view.