Let’s resolve one of the greatest mysteries of all time when it comes to male-female relations once and for all. What does it mean when a guy locks eyes with you and doesn’t look away?
Is he some creep who checks out every woman around him? Is he trying to approach you? Or, does he just like what he sees?
How many times have you asked yourself these questions? How many times were you in a situation like this trying to figure out his true intentions?
Well, luckily, your torments have come to an end because I’m about to tell you what eye contact means to men.
What does locking eyes with a guy mean?
When a guy locks eyes with you and doesn’t look away, he’s making a move on you. In most cases, this is a sign of attraction, and you should take it as a compliment.
But, there could be other reasons hidden behind prolonged eye contact. Read on to find the most common ones.
When A Guy Locks Eyes With You And Doesn’t Look Away: 20 Reasons
What does it mean if a guy holds eye contact with you? Here are all the possible reasons behind it.
1. He likes you.
Let’s start with the most common reason why guys use prolonged eye contact with a woman. Intense eye contact is a good sign of attraction and a legit sign that he wants to kiss you.
It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about a man you’ve never met before, about a friend, or a male coworker. If he’s staring at you, he probably likes you.
It’s quite possible that he does this without being aware of it. He doesn’t plan on revealing his intentions – he’s just so attracted to you that he can’t take his eyes off you.
His pupils dilate, and he looks at you like you’re not just the only woman in the room – at that moment, for him, you’re the only woman in the world.
Pay attention when something like this happens. This deep eye contact means more than empty words.
Let’s look at it like this: if a guy tells you how much he likes you, he might be lying. But, if he shows it to you through direct eye contact – he’s being honest. He can’t fake this.
2. He’s studying you.
Women are not the only ones overthinking and overanalyzing every situation. Men do it, too – they’re just better at hiding it.
This is exactly what this man is doing when he makes strong eye contact: he’s studying you.
Before jumping to this conclusion, you have to know that there are different types of eye contact. When a guy is analyzing you, he won’t check you out from head to toe.
He’s not trying to determine how attractive you are or scale your looks. He already likes you, and this has little to do with physical attraction.
He’s actually putting effort into finding more about you. How could he possibly do that without talking to you, you must wonder.
Well, it seems like you’ve forgotten that eyes are the windows to the soul. If someone is perceptive enough, they can definitely read your emotions just by looking at you.
3. You remind him of someone.
This one probably won’t make you so happy, but eye contact doesn’t always mean attraction. I’m not saying it’s the truth, but it’s possible that you just remind this man of someone.
Come on, be honest. How many times have you stared at someone trying to remember who they were?
Usually, we do it without realizing it. You forget how rude it is to stare, and you lose track of reality.
You go deep into your mind looking for memories and trying to connect the face with the name. Maybe this guy is doing the same.
Or, he might be perfectly aware that you two haven’t met before. Nevertheless, you remind him of someone dear to him or of someone he lost, so he can’t stop looking at you.
Maybe you look just like his ex-girlfriend that he still has feelings for. Just by staring at you, he went back to his past.
4. He is getting the courage to approach you.
There is a big chance that this guy stares at you because he is attracted to you, but doesn’t know how to approach you. He’s analyzing your behavior, appearance, and looks so he can conclude what type of girl you are.
What could be your likes and dislikes? Do you prefer gentlemen or casual guys? Are you serious most of the time or do you laugh at every little thing?
He can get all of this information just by looking at you for some time. Why does he need it?
Well, isn’t it obvious? He’s trying to come up with the best pick-up line to knock you off your feet.
Should he be romantic? Are you a fan of cheesy but funny approaches? Is a flirty joke in order? Should he be direct and ask you out immediately?
Is it better to wait for you to head out? Or, should he do it right away?
It’s pretty apparent that this man is getting the courage to approach you. If you want to motivate him to make the first move, at least smile – that will give him the green light he’s waiting for.
5. He wants you to make the first move.
Times have changed, and modern dating has brought some new rules.
Who says that men always have to make the first move? Why wouldn’t we switch traditional roles for the night?
When a guy locks eyes with you and doesn’t look away, it’s quite possible that he’s actually trying to motivate you to make the first move. How tables have turned!
He’s obviously using prolonged eye contact to flirt with you. But, for a change, he’s non-verbally inviting you to come to him.
There is no harm in this. Trust me – you won’t get embarrassed. If a guy is checking you out, it’s safe to go to him and introduce yourself.
He’ll think of you as badass, and you’ll establish dominance right away. Besides, what exactly do you have to lose?
6. He waits for your reaction.
If a guy likes you but is not so sure if you feel the same way about him, he’ll stare at you for a while before actually doing something. He’ll look into your facial expressions, body language signs, and other signs of interest.
Is he a coward? Or, is he just waiting for your green light before he approaches you for the first time?
Why wouldn’t you look at it like this: he’s just a gentleman who doesn’t want to invade your personal space and time before he is sure that you want communication as well.
If you ever find yourself in a situation like this, know that everything is up to you. If you like him back, send him subtle signs. Otherwise, this connection will never go beyond an eye gaze.
Or, just go ahead and start the verbal communication by yourself. He’s obviously waiting for you to do something, so why wouldn’t you surprise him and engage in some social interaction?
7. He’s teasing you.
Eye contact means interest and insane attraction. This guy is clearly trying to flirt with you. He feels the sexual tension between you two, and the only question is if you feel it, too.
He’s teasing you with his eyes. The truth is that a real man doesn’t have to say anything to arouse you – his looks are more than enough.
If the chemistry is real, you’ll hold eye contact back. Don’t be shy and don’t look away. Play along and see where it takes you.
Your boyfriend in public
This will be especially interesting if your romantic relationship partner is staring at you like this. You can read the desire from his eyes, and I bet that turns you on.
See this as part of your foreplay. You’re probably somewhere in public, and all he can do is undress you with his eyes.
Be certain that he’s picturing everything he’d do to you if you were alone. Don’t worry – nobody gets what’s going on between you two.
It’s safe to continue with this deep eye contact. You’ll thank me later!
8. He zoned out.
Sadly, when eyes meet, it’s not always a clear sign of sexual attraction. I hate to break it to you, but it’s possible that this guy just zoned out.
A stranger zoning out
If someone across the room is staring at you, looking completely uninterested, it’s possible that he’s not looking at you – he’s looking “through” you. He’s far away from real life, and his thoughts led him to his dream world.
Of course, this doesn’t make you any less attractive. You don’t know where he is mentally, so maybe he just didn’t notice you.
Conversational partner zoning out
On the other hand, if a guy zones out in the middle of a conversation, that’s a huge sign of disrespect. You’ll see that he’s staring blankly at you, and it appears like he doesn’t have a clue what you’re talking about.
Don’t let this rock your self-esteem. He is the one being rude.
But, don’t keep on begging for his attention either. Just stop talking, and if possible, turn around and leave.
9. He’s sustaining dominance.
We humans are not so different than animals. We use non-verbal communication and body language signals more than you might imagine.
Have you ever been knocked to your chair by the way a man looked at you? He didn’t have to tell you anything – this guy stared at you, and it was enough for you to lose your feet underneath you.
In that case, you’ve dealt with an Alpha male. This man knows the power of eye contact, and he’s using it to gain dominance over you.
He wants to let you know how much he likes you. He knows what he wants and he isn’t afraid to get it.
This is the type of eye contact that tells you: “You will be mine sooner or later, no questions asked.” Let’s be honest here: which woman wouldn’t like being looked at this way?
10. He’s a player.
Be careful if you’re out clubbing and catch a guy looking at you. Don’t get me wrong – I’m not saying he’s not attracted to you because he most certainly is.
Nevertheless, there is a great chance that he is attracted to every woman in the room. No, this doesn’t mean you should compare yourself to all of them.
But, if you catch him maintaining eye contact with multiple women at the same time, don’t blow up his ego by looking back at him. Don’t be one in a row, and just look away.
You’re obviously dealing with a player. He is in search of a one-night stand, and he couldn’t care less who he is taking home as long as he’s not going home alone.
On the other hand, if a man spends the entire evening sending eye contact signals to you only, he might be worthy of your attention.
11. He’s looking back at you.
What if you were the one staring first? What if you haven’t noticed the lack of eye contact from this guy, and you kept looking at him despite not getting any feedback?
Then, after a while, he finally shows some signs of interest. He gives you a single eye gaze and you make a big deal out of it.
To make things clear – there is nothing wrong with you initiating these eye contact signals. I just want you to be self-conscious and realistic as to why they’re happening.
12. He’s in love with you.
When a guy locks eyes with you and doesn’t look away, it can be a sign of love at first sight. No, it doesn’t happen in rom coms only – it’s possible in real life as well.
His soul recognized yours. The moment he laid eyes on you, he felt like home. You seemed familiar to him as if you two have already met in a past life.
Well, maybe you have.
You know how it happens in the movies – your eyes accidentally lock and time stops for a second.
Don’t feel foolish if it happened to you. Instead, go for it because it’s probably a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing, and if I were you, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.
13. He’s carefully listening to you.
If you two are in the middle of a conversation and he looks at you without blinking, he’s giving you his undivided attention. To be clear: this shouldn’t be anything special, and it’s how things should work when two adults are talking.
Nevertheless, in today’s world when everyone stares at their phone all the time, this kind of man is a rare breed. He’s not just looking at your attractive body and beautiful face – he is actively listening to what you have to say.
14. He wants to sleep with you.
I hate to break it to you, but when a guy locks eyes with you and doesn’t look away, it can also be a red flag that he just wants to take you to bed. Once again, relationship experts are warning you to pay attention to the type of eye contact he’s making.
Is he checking you out from head to toe? Is he staring at your butt and cleavage without even trying to hide it? In that case, everything is quite clear.
Don’t get me wrong – it’s one thing if this sexual attraction is mutual. If you’re looking for a one-night stand, that’s perfectly fine with me. Continue with this mutual gaze and enjoy yourself.
But, just be careful not to get used by this womanizer. If he’s looking at you like this, he doesn’t want a relationship.
15. He’s dealing with mental health problems.
Lack of eye contact and too much eye contact can both be signs of mental health problems. If he avoids eye contact, it’s possible he struggles with ADHD or social anxiety.
On the other hand, if he can’t stop looking at you (actually, if he’s looking “through” you), it’s a red flag of some serious anger management issues.
Keep in mind that drunk people can’t control where their eyes wander either. They’ll just stare at you without any clue as to why they’re doing it.
16. It’s a sign of intimacy.
Locking eyes with your partner is one of the greatest signs of intimacy. No, I’m not talking about sexual tension here only.
I’m talking about the fact that your boyfriend who loves you and whom you love is staring directly into your soul. Sometimes, you two could spend hours and hours just looking at each other without saying a word.
As pointless as this might seem to some, every relationship expert will tell you that it actually strengthens your bond and increases your intimacy. You know what they say; you’re not truly comfortable with someone until you can sit with them in silence without it being awkward.
If your partner initiates this type of eye contact, be sure about one thing: he cares about you deeply.
17. He wants you to remember him.
This man doesn’t want to be just one of the guys in the row. He sees how attractive you are, and is very well aware that a bunch of dudes approach you on a daily basis.
Let’s be honest – you forget about most of them. That’s exactly why he’s staring at you so profoundly.
He wants you to remember him forever. Nothing doesn’t have to happen between you two. But, I bet you’ll always remember his intense gaze.
18. He’s connecting with you spiritually.
This man believes that eyes are the windows to the soul. He is using his greatest weapon – his looks – to connect with you on a spiritual level.
He’s maintaining strong eye contact, and doesn’t look away when you stare back at him for one reason only: he wants you to see who he truly is. This is the way he introduces himself instead of using a usual pick-up line.
19. He’s admiring you.
When a guy locks eyes with you and doesn’t look away, he is admiring you. He just stands there appreciating the woman he sees in front of him.
Maybe he’s admiring your appearance or the way you smile, dance, or talk. Maybe he sees something more in you – something even you aren’t aware of having.
Either way, take this as a compliment. He probably won’t approach you and tell you how beautiful you are. For him, that would be an understatement.
Instead, his eyes tell you everything: you took his breath away like no other woman has before.
20. He’s talking about you.
How much eye contact is he making? Does he occasionally look at you or does he keep staring?
If he’s looking at you back and forth while talking to someone, it’s likely that he’s talking about you. Don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be anything bad. It doesn’t have to mean that he’s gossiping about you.
Maybe he’s commenting on your amazing looks or is telling his friend how much he likes you. Or, he is asking him for advice on how to make the first move.
Either way, you should find it flattering – even if he badmouths you, you’re still the center of his attention.
Final Thoughts
Do you still have doubts when a guy locks eyes with you and doesn’t look away? Maybe you can’t decide which of these reasons applies to him.
In that case, listen to your intuition. Observe his body language signals carefully and figure out his intentions.