look forward to

English

Pronunciation

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Verb

look forward to (third-person singular simple present looks forward to, present participle looking forward to, simple past and past participle looked forward to)

1. (transitive, idiomatic) To anticipate, expect, or wait for, especially with a feeling of approval or pleasure. Be excited or eager to.
   • 1794 November 19, George Washington, speech, George Washington's Sixth State of the Union Address,

     When we call to mind the gracious indulgence of Heaven by which the American people became a nation; when we survey the general prosperity of our country, and look forward to the riches, power, and happiness to which it seems destined, with the deepest regret do I announce to you that during your recess some of the citizens of the United States have been found capable of insurrection.

   • 1818, Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus,

     I love Elizabeth and look forward to our union with delight.

   • 1895, Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest: A Trivial Comedy for Serious People,

     Then a passionate celibacy is all that any of us can look forward to.

   • 1909 May 18, Gilbert Newton Lewis and Richard Chace Tolman, The Principle of Relativity, and Non-Newtonian Mechanics, in Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 44: 709–726,

     To such verification, however, we may look forward with reasonable confidence, for Einstein has deduced from the principle of relativity, together with the electromagnetic theory, a number of striking consequences which are remarkably self-consistent.

   • 1961 January 17, Dwight D. Eisenhower, speech, Eisenhower's farewell address,

     Now, on Friday noon, I am to become a private citizen. I am proud to do so. I look forward to it.

Related terms

• look forward

Translations

anticipate, expect, or wait for

• Catalan: esperar amb il·lusió
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 期待 (zh) (qīdài), 向往 (zh) (xiàngwǎng), 盼望 (zh) (pànwàng), 巴望 (zh) (bāwàng), 等不及 (zh) (děngbují), 期盼 (zh) (qīpàn)

• Czech: těšit se (cs)
• Danish: glæde sig til, se frem til
• Dutch: uitkijken naar, ernaar uitkijken om, verheugen zich op
• Esperanto: antaŭĝoji (pri)
• Faroese: gleða seg
• Finnish: odottaa innolla (eagerly), odottaa jännityksellä (excitedly), odottaa mielenkiinnolla (with interest)
• French: avoir hâte de (fr), attendre avec impatience, espérer (fr)
• German: erwarten (de), sich (de) freuen (de) (+ auf + acc.)
• Greek: προσβλέπω (el) (prosvlépo), ευελπιστώ (el) (evelpistó)
• Hungarian: alig vár
• Icelandic: hlakka til
• Italian: aspettarsi (it), attendere con ansia
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Japanese: 楽しみにする (tanoshimi ni suru)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: glede seg (no), se frem til

• Persian: مشتاق بودن (moštâq budan)
• Polish: nie móc się doczekać
• Portuguese: ansiar (pt), aguardar ansiosamente
• Russian: ждать с нетерпе́нием (ždatʹ s neterpénijem), не мочь дожда́ться (ne močʹ doždátʹsja), предвкуша́ть (ru) impf (predvkušátʹ)
• Scottish Gaelic: dèan fiughair ri
• Slovak: tesiť sa
• Slovene: veseliti se
• Spanish: esperar (es), tener pensado, no ver la hora
• Swedish: se fram emot
• Telugu: ఎదురుచూచు (te) (edurucūcu)
• Turkish: iple çekmek (tr), dört gözle beklemek (tr)