gathering clouds

gathering clouds

A sign of impending trouble or danger. (The "clouds" refer to storm clouds.) There have been gathering clouds in the city for months—I'm nervous that a riot will erupt soon.
See also: cloud, gathering
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • pull (someone or something) out of the fire
  • pull out of the fire
  • pull (someone's) bacon out of the fire
  • storm clouds
  • under a cloud, to be
  • sword of Damocles
  • a/the sword of Damocles
  • Damocles' sword
  • cloud nine
  • havoc
References in classic literature
There were thick gathering clouds in the sky, but she took no note of them save to be glad that she could raise her sunshade.
Debray, who perceived the gathering clouds, and felt no desire to witness the explosion of Madame Danglars' rage, suddenly recollected an appointment, which compelled him to take his leave; while Monte Cristo, unwilling by prolonging his stay to destroy the advantages he hoped to obtain, made a farewell bow and departed, leaving Danglars to endure the angry reproaches of his wife.
The darkening of the light was produced by gathering clouds. Rain-drops pattered against the glass; the autumn wind whistled mournfully in the corners of the courtyard.
Sometimes that gathering cloud of suspicion seemed to him grotesque.
Drewry remains upbeat on Europe's box trade prospects this year despite the gathering clouds. Its latest market forecast, published in July, predicts Asia-North Europe westbound volumes will grow 4.3 percent this year, compared to just 1.2 percent over 2018, while European container port throughput is expected to increase 2.6 percent year-on-year.
I view the bumper dividend as Das lending his spare umbrella to a government that has long lived in denial of the gathering clouds, believing GDP numbers that are too sunny to be trustworthy.
Yet another example for the gathering clouds on the economic horizon is the continuous downfall of the rupee in relation to dollar.
A tough task is cut out for him in this, especially in view of the gathering clouds over the horizon with the potential to break out into a global trade war, the build-up of tensions in the Arabian Gulf on account of Trump's aggressive moves against Iran, as well as Beijing's hegemonic ambitions that are finding increasing expression in the Indian Ocean.
Romeo Dallaire, Force Commander of the UN peacekeeping mission for Rwanda, cautioned his superiors about the gathering clouds in the country's political skies, which portended a major ethnic conflict.
In view of the gathering clouds, talk is rife of a possible 'extraordinary', unscheduled meeting of its oil ministers before April.
Now is the time to continue to be bold, innovate and demonstrate forward thinking, so transaction levels, and as such LBTT receipts at the higher end of the housing market, are maintained despite the gathering clouds of Brexit.
After midday, gathering clouds are expected to give way to some rains, especially in mountain areas.
While there are gathering clouds, the region's prospects remain intact, enabling us to continue capturing growth opportunities and generating stronger shareholder returns in the coming quarters.'
But then, it was a period of gathering clouds. He played through two seasons when the club started to steadily, then quickly, get dragged back down by football gravity.
A few years earlier, Francis Fukuyama had hailed Western liberal democracy as the "the end of history." Both visions - given the growing support for France's far-right National Front party and the gathering clouds of populist nationalism around the world - now seem.