The 11 Best Alternatives for “I am rooting for you”

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Modern email culture has changed how we communicate with one another.

The ability to send and receive information at all hours of the day is something our ancestors could only have dreamed of, and we certainly owe much to this relatively new technology. 

Despite the many advantages of email, it is worth considering how we have altered our use language to fit this relatively new messaging medium, and whether these changes are all good. 

The letters of the past were often full of polite and sentimental language. By contrast, the language used in emails nowadays can often seem somewhat uncaring or emotionless. 

Why waste time on frilly expressions of care or support when you have constant access to someone, or when you just want to get your point across as quickly and concisely as possible?

It is therefore nice, where possible and appropriate, to express encouragement or moral support in your emails. 

One way this is sometimes done in emails, is by using the idiom “I am rooting for you.” 

While there is nothing wrong with this phrase, it is not very specific. It has also become overused in emails and can therefore appear to lack sincerity in some contexts. 

Where possible, you should therefore use an appropriate, more specific alternative expression of support or good will.

“I am rooting for you” is commonly used to convey that someone wants the best for the person they are addressing.

It can be used to wish someone luck in a specific situation, or to wish someone well in a more general sense.

The origin of this idiom is the British word “rout.” To rout originally meant to bellow when calling in cattle. 

Because a bellow sounds like the noises we make when supporting a sports team, the term “rout” became Americanized into “root,” and the term “I am rooting for you” began to be used to mean “I am cheering for you” or “I am supporting you.”

 

11 other ways to say “I am rooting for you”

The language we use in professional emails nowadays falls into the Consultative Language Register, which is defined as formal and acceptable speech used in professional settings. 

While some of the alternatives given below may sound informal and could indeed be considered part of the Informal Language Register, they are almost all appropriate for use in emails that are written in the Consultative Register. 

 

1. I wish you every success in your future endeavors

The idiom “I am rooting for you” can be used to mean both that the sender is wishing the recipient good luck for a particular event, and that they are wishing them well in more general terms. 

Because of this ambiguity, if you want to convey that you are wishing someone well in the long-term, it is better to use an alternative expression that states this more clearly. 

The phrase “I wish you every success in your future endeavors” is a clear expression of long-term good will.

However, be careful when using it as it has a very specific meaning.

It should only be used when the person being addressed is moving on professionally. 

If you are an employer or team manager, and someone who works for you is leaving their job, then this phrase is the perfect way to express that you will be rooting for them in whatever they choose to do next. 

 

2. I have every faith in you

While the phrase “I am rooting for you” can be used to mean that the email’s sender will be giving their support to its recipient, it does not necessarily imply that the sender believes the recipient will do well.

If you want to let the person you are communicating with know you feel confident that they are going to achieve the thing they want to, you may want to use an alternative phrase that conveys this trust.

One possibility is “I have every faith in you.”

 

3. I know you’ll do great

This simple alternative to “I am rooting for you” is straight to the point. It says what it means and is easy to understand. 

 

4. You’ve got this

This more informal alternative to “I am rooting for you” is best used when writing to a colleague with whom you are on casual terms with. 

It is a quick and direct way to express your faith in another person’s ability. It implies a greater conviction in your belief that they will do well than just saying “I am rooting for you.”

 

5. I will be cheering for you

While “I am rooting for you” is not necessarily a reference to a specific event, the alternative “I will be cheering for you” is. 

This turn of phrase can be used when there is a single event at which the person being addressed will engaging in some form of competition, usually a sporting one. 

Unlike some of the other alternatives, this one should be used quite literally. To cheer for someone means to vocally support them, and it makes most sense to use this phrase about a context in which you will actually be present to literally cheer someone on. 

 

6. I’m with you all the way

While “I am rooting for you” connotes support for a future endeavor, the alternative expression “I’m with you all the way” is a statement of support for an idea that has already been presented. 

To say, “I’m with you all the way” means “I agree with you completely.” 

This expression is also relatively informal. It is therefore most appropriate to use it when speaking to someone with whom you are on familiar terms.

 

7. Wishing you all the best

Another alternative to “I am rooting for you” that is usually used when some kind of farewell is taking place is “wishing you all the best.” 

To wish someone all the best before a goodbye is a way to tell them that you are going on your separate ways on good terms, with nothing but warm feelings towards each other. 

 

8. Break a leg

“I am rooting for you” can refer to a specific event or can be a more general expression of support. 

The same is not true of the phrase “break a leg,” which, despite how unkind it sounds literally, is a way to wish someone good luck for a specific happening, traditionally a theater performance. 

The idea behind the idiom “break a leg” is that this is the worst possible thing that could happen to a stage performer, and it is therefore said in irony. 

 

9. Best of luck 

“Best of luck” is a simple alternative to “I am rooting for you.” It is often used as the closing to an email. While it is a kind expression of good will, it is not overly effusive. 

It can be used in writing in much the same way that you would use “good luck” when speaking. 

 

10. You have my full support

While “I am rooting for you” tends to come across sounding somewhat vague, the alternative expression “you have my full support” is anything but wishy-washy. In the same vein as the phrase “I have every faith in you,” it is a clear and unambiguous statement of support. 

 

11. You have my vote

This expression of support can either literally mean that the email writer will be voting for the recipient in an electoral process, or it can be used as an idiomatic way of expressing support for their ideas more generally.

If used in the latter sense, it more or less means “I fully agree with you.” 

It is usually used in a context in which there are multiple alternatives or there is a difference of opinion of some kind.