Meaning & use
I'm looking forward to
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phraseinformal
A polite expression meaning you are excited and happy about something that is going to happen.
Grammar: Followed by a noun or an -ing form: 'looking forward to the party', 'looking forward to meeting you'. Not followed by a bare verb.
Patterns
- look forward to something
- look forward to doing something
- I'm looking forward to it
I'm looking forward to the weekend because we're going hiking.
She said she's looking forward to meeting your family.
We're looking forward to hearing from you soon.
Common combinations
- look forward to hearing from you
- I look forward to hearing from you soon. (formal letter closing)
- look forward to seeing you
- We look forward to seeing you at the party.
- look forward to the weekend
- Everyone is looking forward to the weekend.
Synonyms and how they differ
- can't wait for
- More excited and informal; it also takes a noun or -ing form.
- anticipate
- More formal and neutral; it can suggest expecting something without the positive excitement.
Opposites
Word family
- look forward to phrasal verb
- The base phrasal verb; the 'I'm' form is just one use.
Commonly confused: I'm looking forward to or look for?
I'm looking forward to vs look for
Look for means try to find; look forward to means feel excited about a future event.
Practice
Complete the sentence: I'm looking forward to ___ you next week.
Choose one answer.
After 'looking forward to', use the -ing form because 'to' is a preposition here. 'See' (bare infinitive) is wrong, and 'saw' and 'seen' are not correct after a preposition.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “I'm looking forward to”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.