been looking forward to

USAGE SUMMARY

'been looking forward to' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you have been anticipating or eagerly awaiting something for a long time. For example: I've been looking forward to seeing my grandparents again for a long time.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

We've been looking forward to this.

The New York Times - Sports

"It's something I've been looking forward to.

The Washington Post

"I've been looking forward to this all week".

The Guardian - Music

She herself had been looking forward to seeing India.

The New Yorker

I think we've all been looking forward to it.

The New York Times

I had been looking forward to our wedding.

The New York Times

He has really, really, been looking forward to Augusta".

The New York Times - Sports

"My husband and I had been looking forward to retirement.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

I had been looking forward to meeting this genius.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Mr. Asimov, too, had been looking forward to this tasting.

The New York Times - Food

"I've been looking forward to this all year," he said.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "been looking forward to" when expressing anticipation for an event or experience you've known about for a while. It implies a duration of excitement and expectation.

Common error

Avoid using "been looking forward to" when referring to something that happened in the past. This phrase is for future or ongoing anticipation, not for past experiences. Use a simple past tense verb form to describe past experiences.

Linguistic Context

Been looking forward to functions as a verb phrase expressing anticipation or excitement about a future event or experience. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's grammatically correct. Examples in Ludwig show usage in various contexts, expressing eagerness for upcoming events.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

85%

Formal & Business

8%

Science

3%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

1%

Wiki

1%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "been looking forward to" is a versatile and widely used phrase to express anticipation and excitement over time. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, the phrase is grammatically correct and can be found in varied contexts, primarily in News & Media. When writing, remember that "been looking forward to" should be used to talk about future anticipation, not for past events. The phrase is more suited to casual conversation because while having a neutral register, is more frequent in news outlets than formal and business environments. For more formal expressions, consider using "eagerly anticipating" or "keenly anticipating".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

excitedly awaiting

Directly expresses excitement about something in the future.

eagerly anticipating

Implies a strong sense of excitement and anticipation.

keenly anticipating

Emphasizes the intensity and eagerness of the anticipation.

awaiting with excitement

Emphasizes the act of waiting and the accompanying excitement.

anticipating with pleasure

Highlights the positive emotions associated with looking forward to something.

with great anticipation

Highlights the high level of expectation and excitement.

counting down the days

Suggests a specific countdown, indicating a near event.

awaiting with bated breath

Implies intense excitement and suspense.

anxiously awaiting

Implies a mix of excitement and slight worry or nervousness.

longing for

Suggests a deep desire and yearning for something to happen.

FAQs

How to use "been looking forward to" in a sentence?

You can use "been looking forward to" to express anticipation for something. For example, "I've been looking forward to this vacation all year" or "We've been looking forward to seeing you".

What can I say instead of "been looking forward to"?

You can use alternatives like "eager to", "anticipating", or "excited about", depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "I am looking forward to" instead of "I have been looking forward to"?

Both are correct, but they have slightly different meanings. "I am looking forward to" implies immediate anticipation, while "I have been looking forward to" suggests anticipation over a period of time.

What's the difference between "looking forward to" and "been looking forward to"?

"Looking forward to" implies general anticipation, while "been looking forward to" suggests a prolonged period of anticipation and excitement building up to an event.