approaching and coming share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. approaching means “the event of one object coming closer to another”. coming means “the act of drawing spatially closer to something”. coming is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/əˈpɹoʊtʃɪŋ/
1.n.the event of one object coming closer to another
2.n.the temporal property of becoming nearer in time
“the approach of winter”
3.n.the act of drawing spatially closer to something
“the hunter's approach scattered the geese”
/ˈkʌmɪŋ/
1.n.the act of drawing spatially closer to something
“the hunter's approach scattered the geese”
2.n.arrival that has been awaited (especially of something momentous)
“the advent of the computer”
3.n.the temporal property of becoming nearer in time
“the approach of winter”
| approaching | coming | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /əˈpɹoʊtʃɪŋ/ | /ˈkʌmɪŋ/ |
| Said | uh-PROH-ching | KUHM-ing |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Letters | 11 | 6 |
| Parts of speech | noun, adjective | noun, adjective |
| Senses | 4 | 5 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | approach | approach, approaching |
Full entry for approaching · Full entry for coming · More comparisons