Why do men hide their feelings? Why do you even need to look for subtle signs he likes you?
Well, some men tend to be private about their emotions. They are simply not comfortable with putting it all out in the open.
In these situations, what exactly should you do other than to step up your detective skills and try to read those hints and subtle signs he likes you more than a friend?
It can be exhausting. But also that anticipation of not knowing for sure if a guy likes you can be intriguing and exciting.
Stay ahead in this game and prepare all your steps ahead with THIS BRILLIANT DATING GUIDE.
Not to mention all that the enigma of a guy who doesn’t put it all out in the open can be extremely attractive.
If we’re being completely honest with ourselves, we’d much rather search for those little telltale signs and little things than prove it right away. Straightforwardness kills the mystery in those early stages of a romance.
So if you can’t stop asking yourself ”Does he like me or am I just imagining all these signs?” look no further. Here, you’ll get confirmation that your guy is scared of how much he likes you.
And after you do, the ball’s in your court and you finally get to make your move knowing you’ve got a real shot here!
Make all the right moves with Infatuation Scripts.
How Do You Know If A Guy Likes You But Is Hiding It?
When a man tries to hide his true feelings, you shouldn’t listen to what he’s saying. Instead, pay close attention to the things he’s not telling you– especially to his body language signs and his tone of voice.
If you just focus on his body language (or if he’s nervously fidgeting around you) you’ll see what I mean. His voice will start shaking every time you’re near, his hands will sweat and he’ll blush every time he looks at you.
What more proof do you need to see that this man is head over heels for you?
Why Is He Hiding His Feelings?
The reasons for his not so transparent or straightforward behavior can vary.
He might be one of those shy guys who are reluctant to approach you and engage in physical contact right away.
He might be putting you on a pedestal while feeling he’s way out of your league. Or his shyness might make him wait for you to make the first move.
On the other hand, he might be testing the field and taking his precious time to see if you guys are on the same page.
He’s taking it slow and doesn’t want to rush into things yet he’s nevertheless giving you those subtle hints that he wants to be with you.
It can be through texting, where he’s very flirty and obviously interested, but when you’re with a group of friends on a Friday night, all you’ll get is friendly banter as he’s unsure of your possible reaction.
The most common scenario is that the two of you are already friends or even coworkers and he doesn’t want to mess that up.
He values you too much and he is scared that if you see the subtle signs he likes you more than a friend, it would make things awkward between you and he might even lose you as a friend.
On the other hand, in case you see subtle signs he likes you at work, office-policy or a possibly unpleasant working environment might be holding him back.
16 Subtle Signs A Guy Likes You
There are many signs a guy likes you but is hesitant to show it and that’s what we’ll cover here today. You’ll get your first date, but first, you have to confirm that all those subtle things mean exactly what you think they do.
He lights up around you
There is something about you that simply makes him radiant and happy every time you enter the room, when he sees you, or when he’s simply around. He has a smile that tells more than any words ever could.
People smile from their souls when they are in love – regardless if they’re hiding their feelings or putting them out in the open. That glow they have when they are around you is a sure yet subtle sign that they like you.
Luckily, you can’t hide that inner joy that overwhelms your entire body once you lock eyes with someone who lights up your world.
RELATED: What Does It Mean When He Calls You Babe? (13 Possible Reasons)
His eyes mirror his emotions
There are two ways to tell if a guy likes you depending on eye contact.
In the first case, he locks eyes with you all the time, letting you know that he’s totally into you. Prolonged eye contact is never without reason.
This kind of eye contact is reserved for alpha males – confident and outgoing types who are subtly letting you know that they like you.
In the second scenario, he has problems locking eyes with you. His look drifts away because he’s too shy to admit it.
There are no right or wrong signs here. Guys’ behaviors and differences depend on their personalities. That doesn’t mean they like you any less.
Some guys will avoid eye contact because they’re scared of how much they like you, while others will look at you with utmost certainty and you’ll see it all right there and then. It’s all in his eyes!
He playfully teases you
If he’s the type of man who is outgoing, confident, and sure of himself, he’ll have no problems playfully teasing you.
But he’ll do it in such a way that you’ll have no idea if he’s a flirt by nature or really into you.
It can be rather confusing. But pay attention to his behavior toward other women in your surroundings.
If he’s the same with every other woman, he’s definitely not into you. But if he’s playfully teasing only you, that’s what happens when a guy likes you.
He could be just a flirt (probably the kind that cannot be trusted). But, if he singles you out and makes it clear that you’re his number one priority (especially in front of all of his guy friends) and his behavior towards you stands out from his usual demeanor, it’s an obvious sign he likes you.
He likes spending time with you
If he goes out of his way to spend as much time with you as possible, he’s clearly drawn to you as more than just a friend.
He might be eager to join some activity you’re into. He might start to visit places you usually hang out at, like your favorite park, coffee shop, or library.
He’ll make as much effort as he possibly can, without overdoing it, to be around you.
He likes your company and it’s evident in his behavior and by always wanting to be somewhere near –if not right beside you.
This is a dead giveaway of a man trying to tell you something. If this guy isn’t as outgoing and confident as you may be, do him a favor and make the first move.
Those subtle signs he likes you are all there, you just have to throw him a bone.
Once he sees that you feel the same way, he’ll pluck up the courage he needs to win you over!
See also: 9 Powerful Ways To Use Your Feminine Energy To Attract The Right Man
He forgets about time
When he’s with you, time simply flies. So more often than not, he forgets some other things he had to do because he’s too busy talking to you.
When you’re in good company and enjoying yourself, time is a relative thing. Hours go by and when you’re with the right person, it feels like it’s been only minutes.
If you understand him and he can talk with you for hours and lose track of time, it’s definitely a good sign. In this day and age, it’s difficult to just let loose and forget about time and obligations.
There’s always somewhere you need to be and something you need to do. But when you’re with someone who makes your heart skip a beat, time becomes nonexistent.
This is why you can count on him really liking you. This doesn’t happen with just anyone.
He forgets about his surroundings and what he’s supposed to be doing
Let’s say he’s giving you a ride home. He knows where you live, so you don’t give him instructions.
But he just keeps riding past your home because he’s engaged in the conversation you’re having.
Or he’s simply distracted by the fact that you’re sitting right next to him.
Whatever it might be, if your presence makes him forgetful, he’s probably head over heels for you.
Remember how it feels to be with someone who makes you forget what you were about to say?
Someone who has the power to completely mess with your thought process just by his mere existence?
And that’s a good thing. It takes a special person to be able to completely make you forget what you’re supposed to be doing.
It means that you’re so engaged in the conversation and simply being with him that everything else becomes less important.
If you’re at the center of his universe when he’s with you, you’re one lucky lady. It’s a clear sign of his deep and powerful attraction to you!
RELATED: 23 Revealing Signs He Likes You But Is Playing It Cool
He lingers
He stays around longer than he normally would. He’s reluctant to leave and probably doing it subconsciously.
He makes up topics about this and that just so he can spend more time with you.
If you participate and make it easy for him to approach and talk to you, he might get the courage to ask you out on your first date! Show him you’re into his behavior and he’ll take it the right way.
Guys sometimes need just a little push in the right direction. He probably doesn’t want to make a fool of himself, so he’s lingering to see if you’ll catch his drift (which I’m sure you will).
Once you do, wait for him to make the next move. Give him a subtle sign that you’re feeling it, and he’ll take care of the rest.
If a guy likes you, it won’t take more than that for him to make his move.
Related: When He Puts His Hand On Your Thigh While Driving (13 Reasons Why)
His behavior changes when other guys are in the picture
To put it simply – he is jealous. He can’t stand when you start talking about some other guy. He tries to change the topic.
He might have also a different approach. He might start asking questions about the guy to see if he is a threat and how you feel about that other guy.
The same happens if you ask him for some dating tips. This usually happens if you two are good friends and you have no idea that he has feelings for you. In that case, you’ll probably ask him for advice on your love life.
Naturally, that bothers him. If you’re in a relationship, it breaks his heart to listen to your future plans with your new boyfriend.
If some other guy is flirting with you, giving you his whole attention, the behavior of a guy that’s into you will also change.
He will become distant. His facial expression will change and he won’t have that radiant happy smile on his face anymore.
He is probably retreating because he still hasn’t got the nerve to ask you out and just now realized he might risk losing you because he waited for so long to tell you how he feels.
And this is where you come in! Knowing that this is a clear sign that he likes you, show him you’re not interested in all those other guys.
Single him out and give him most of your attention. Once he sees that he’s the one you want as well, it’ll make it so much easier for him to do what he truly wants to do.
He wants to impress you
When he’s retelling a story or something personal, he wants you to see his full potential. So, he always exaggerates and adds some things you presume are not true.
His stories make him into some kind of superhero who has a balanced, well-rounded life. He might even brag about the things he’s done that made him extremely proud.
He wants you to know that he is worthy of you. He wants to impress you.
So, don’t hold his exaggerations against him. Take them as a good sign because he wants you to like him.
People around you tell you he likes you
Sometimes we’re clueless about somebody’s feelings towards us until someone in the role of accidental bystander points it out.
Then we start noticing how he treats us differently than the rest and how something might be happening there.
Thank God for friends who are willing to steer you in the right direction. They may even call him out in the open about his infatuation for you.
In those situations, you will see how uncomfortable he gets and how the color in his cheeks goes from pale to blush in no time.
Sometimes when two people clearly like each other but neither is making the first move, it’s easy to get the wrong impression and think the other person doesn’t really like you.
But that’s what your friends are here for. They’ll help you realize because they are objective in this situation and know when something’s up. And with them, you always know you can trust them completely.
He gives you subtle compliments
He’ll never exaggerate, but from time to time, he’ll notice you changed your style or cut your hair shorter.
He’ll tell you some outfit looks amazing on you or compliment you on being smart and good at what you do.
He’ll do his best to make you feel better about yourself. He probably won’t compliment you often because he doesn’t want his feelings revealed quite yet, but he’ll get to a situation where he won’t be able to help himself and will speak what’s truly on his mind.
It’s all in those subtle, yet surefire signs. Guys don’t normally notice your new haircut or a new sweatshirt.
But if he does, you know it means he’s been paying extra attention to you.
He remembers things about you that you don’t even remember
If a guy is interested, everything you say and do will be of great importance for him.
He remembers something you said a while back. Or a place you visited together or with some mutual friends that simply slipped your mind.
You might not even remember him being there, but he most certainly remembers you.
Things you told him are in his long-term memory. Remembering details about you is a clear sign of his affection.
And the weird thing is, he won’t even do this on purpose. He’ll surprise himself by how much he remembers about you.
But that’s what happens when you’re infatuated by someone to that extent.
You have his undivided attention
Even when his mind seems to be elsewhere or he’s not facing you, he holds onto every word you say. He might pretend he doesn’t care about you but the attention he’s giving you tells you otherwise.
Maybe you’ve been in situations in which you felt like nobody else in your crowd was listening but he always paid attention. A bunch of people could be talking to him but he is just looking at you because you’re his number one priority, no matter what.
He will participate in the conversation or you might even be leading a separate dialogue while in the company of other people.
His eyes will be locked on you and he’ll be deeply interested in what you have to say.
You intrigue him and you make him want to speak up more than ever before. Not too shabby, right?
He asks about your relationship status
When a guy is into you, he’ll be interested in your love life. Actually, that will be one of his primary concerns.
He wants to know if you’re single. He might beat around the bush in investigating your relationship status or he might openly ask you. He will let you know in some way or another that he is single.
Just in case you were wondering. This also might be one of the reasons he still hasn’t made his move and he wants to make sure your relationship status says single before proceeding.
On the other hand, if you’re not single, he’ll do everything in his power to “open your eyes” and to show you that your romantic relationship isn’t true love.
No, I’m not claiming that he’ll intrigue you into breaking up with your current boyfriend. But he’ll definitely point out all the red flags and flaws of your relationship.
He wants you to see that the guy you’re dating isn’t cut out for you. His attempts will actually be kind of cute because he’ll talk to you about silly things such as your boyfriend’s height or the fact that your horoscope signs don’t match.
Either way, his goal is pretty clear: he wants you to see him as a better option. He wants to convince you that your current romantic relationship is doomed to fail and indirectly tell you that you should be with him.
He keeps track of your social media accounts
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter… Give him full access to parts of you that you want to share with other people.
Social media is a great way to find out about your interests, likes, and dislikes. It gives him more ideas about things you share, can talk about, or do together.
He’ll “like” your posts frequently. So, don’t be surprised if he likes some photo you posted a while back.
He is probably browsing every picture you ever posted and at some point, he is bound to press unintentionally ‘like’ which will be a perfect telltale sign he likes you.
What he can’t say in words, he says with body language signs
He stands close to you when you speak. He subconsciously leans toward you mid-conversation.
He won’t hesitate to put his hands on your shoulder or subtly touch your arm.
I already mentioned unavoidable eye contact but I forgot to point out that he might be scanning you and checking you out.
His eyes might be concentrated on the area around your lips because he’s wondering what it’d be like to kiss you. His body language signs will tell you all you want to know.
How Do You Know When A Guy Likes You Indirectly?
Observing his body language and eye contact will tell you if a guy likes you before he does it himself, trust me. Wouldn’t you rather turn into a detective and search for those subtle ways that are a dead giveaway of his affection toward you?
Or talk him up and see if he keeps the conversation going even when you’ve exhausted all topics? That’s a great sign of a guy who yearns for your company. It’s always the subtle ways that give it away.
If he notices your new haircut and gives you undivided attention while still allowing you your personal space, those are all obvious signs of a guy’s clear affection, and you can ask any relationship expert about that being the case.
That men and women come from different planets is a well-known fact.
Men, in general, don’t like talking about their feelings or making them obvious.
Women, on the other hand, have no problem with talking about their feelings but they are not so very open and straightforward about liking somebody if they are not sure if somebody likes them or not.)
Why Is He Taking Things Slowly?
If a guy is sending you some of the definite signs he has a crush on you listed above, he is probably either waiting for the perfect moment to make his move or testing the field to see if you are compatible.
Trust me on this one: he doesn’t want anything temporary with you- that’s why he’s taking things slowly. Instead, he sees you as girlfriend material. He is actually building a firm and stable foundation for a long-term relationship here.
It’s better to get to know each other than rush into things – especially if your lives are intertwined with work, friendship, or any other relationship.
In that case, it’s better to play it safe and give the guy a chance to meet you on a deeper level first. It’ll save you a lot of awkwardness later.
And no matter how well we read the signs of our mutual likes and dislikes, we might get it wrong.
Do Guys Give Subtle Hints?
A lot of men have a habit of giving subtle hints at first, before talking about their emotions. When a guy is not sure whether you like him back or not, he won’t be so direct about his feelings.
I know that testing the field might have some negative connotations, but in my opinion, that’s a good thing.
Sometimes initial chemistry might be misleading and a guy you are so clearly into might not be the perfect match for you.
There is no secure way to make a clear-cut distinction between a guy who likes you as a friend and one who wants something more. The best way to distinguish the two is through these subtle hints.
As much as your friends like to spend time with you and like the things you like, only a guy who feels something more will make a greater effort to get to know you. He will remember small details or go green with jealousy because other guys are around.
You are probably on the right track if you recognize a guy you like in these hints.
How Should You React?
What’s necessary for things to move on to the next level (in this case a first date) is your behavior. If you are unapproachable, he’ll hesitate to ask you out.
These are some ways you can tell him you like him.
If you’re keeping him at arm’s length and ignoring when he notices you, he’ll start to pull away.
If you’re constantly busy, if you can’t put your phone down to talk to him, he’ll feel like he’s not welcome in your company.
But if you start giving him hints on your own, he will most likely pick up on them.
If you like a guy, be open to making conversation. Ask questions and get to know him better.
Show that you pay attention, that you’re interested in what he has to say and his interests as much as he is in yours.
Don’t overdo it. Follow his lead. If he gives you hints of his interest, return him hint –don’t make moves because you might be going ahead of yourself.
If you see him distant and pulling away, you should keep your distance. Move at the same pace.
If he gives you subtle hints that he likes you, he’ll surely make a move as soon as he feels comfortable doing so.
If not, don’t be too sad because you haven’t lost anything. Your relationship stayed exactly the same as before you started reading the subtle signs he likes you, so all in all, you haven’t lost anything.
If he acts on his feelings, you get a potentially good relationship. So it’s a win-win situation.
Remember: The most important thing is that you’re on the same page when it comes to your feelings. So, take your time in finding that out.
Sometimes the magic is not knowing where you stand exactly in anticipation of possible romance waiting for you in the near future.
