To look forward to something means to feel excited and happy about something that will happen in the future. When you look forward to your birthday party, you keep thinking about how fun it will be. When you look forward to summer vacation, you imagine the activities and freedom ahead.

The phrase captures that anticipatory feeling of wanting time to pass quickly so you can experience something good. A student might look forward to Friday, a musician might look forward to performing in a concert, or a family might look forward to seeing relatives during the holidays.

You can also use it when writing letters or emails: “I look forward to hearing from you” is a polite way to say you hope someone will respond soon. In this context, it shows positive interest rather than intense excitement.

The opposite feeling might be dreading something, which is when you wish a future event wouldn't happen at all. Looking forward to something makes waiting feel worthwhile, turning the time before an event into part of the pleasure itself.