greatly looking forward to

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "greatly looking forward to" is not correct in standard written English.
The correct form is "greatly looking forward to" should be "greatly looking forward to" or "looking forward to." Example: "I am greatly looking forward to our meeting next week."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

32 human-written examples

Having written on this topic, I am greatly looking forward to these discussions.

The New York Times

He lives in Bristol, and is greatly looking forward to his week by the sea.

The Guardian

All I'm saying is that a particular aspect of the holiday I was greatly looking forward to wasn't there.

The Guardian - Books

I'm greatly looking forward to seeing it again; Bozon's sense of comic incongruity fuses the political and the psychosexual, the official and the intimate.

The New Yorker

Mr. Watson said that despite the physical and mental demands of the role, he was greatly looking forward to the long run at the Joyce.

The New York Times - Arts

I've enjoyed Philip Hensher's previous books so much that I'm greatly looking forward to The Emperor Waltz (4th Estate), which is satisfactorily hefty.

The Guardian - Books

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

27 human-written examples

I greatly look forward to hearing from the public who they would like to celebrate".

The Guardian - Business

And I greatly look forward to my son Sam's wedding sometime in the (hopefully not too distant) future.

Independent

We lived on one of the streets where the bands and civic groups lined up waiting to march, and would greatly look forward to this event every year.

The New York Times

"At 24, this talented rider has got experience under his belt, ambition and we both greatly look forward to working with the horses here".

The Guardian - Sport

I'm enthusiastic about all of Gray's films (and greatly look forward to seeing the new one, "Lowlife," when it comes out).

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Prefer the grammatically accepted alternatives such as "greatly anticipating" or "very much looking forward to" for improved clarity and adherence to standard English.

Common error

Avoid stacking adverbs for emphasis. Instead of "greatly looking forward to", use a stronger verb or a more concise expression to convey your anticipation effectively.

Linguistic Context

The phrase functions as a verbal phrase expressing anticipation. Although frequently encountered, its grammatical correctness is questionable. As noted by Ludwig, standard English often prefers "greatly anticipating" or "very much looking forward to".

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

68%

Formal & Business

16%

Science

16%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "greatly looking forward to" is relatively common, especially in news and media, it's often considered grammatically incorrect. Ludwig suggests that standard English prefers alternatives like "greatly anticipating" or "very much looking forward to". The phrase expresses anticipation, but writers should be mindful of its disputed grammatical status and consider using more accepted alternatives for improved clarity and formality.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

very much looking forward to

Replaces 'greatly' with 'very much' for a similar emphasis.

greatly anticipating

Synonymous, but without the continuous aspect of 'looking'.

highly anticipating

Similar to "greatly looking forward to" but using a more standard adverb.

excited about

Replaces the 'looking forward' construction with a simpler adjective and preposition.

eagerly anticipating

Uses a different verb and adverb to express the same sense of excitement.

truly anticipating

Uses 'truly' to emphasize the anticipation.

keenly awaiting

Employs a different adverb and verb to convey strong anticipation.

enthusiastically awaiting

Employs a different adverb and verb to convey enthusiasm.

intensely anticipating

Expresses a strong degree of anticipation with 'intensely'.

with great anticipation

Uses a noun phrase to convey the feeling of anticipation.

FAQs

What is a better way to say "greatly looking forward to"?

Consider using alternatives such as "greatly anticipating", "very much looking forward to", or "eagerly awaiting" for more grammatically sound options.

Is "greatly looking forward to" grammatically correct?

While commonly used, "greatly looking forward to" is often considered grammatically incorrect. A more accepted form would be "greatly anticipating" or "very much looking forward to".

How can I emphasize my anticipation in a more formal way?

For a more formal tone, consider using phrases like "highly anticipating" or "keenly awaiting" to express strong anticipation.

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

"Greatly looking forward to" attempts to add emphasis, but it is not considered standard English. "Looking forward to" is grammatically correct, while "greatly anticipating" is a more acceptable way to convey the same heightened anticipation.