12 Subtle Ways to Know Someone Doesn't Like You (Look For These Signs)

12 Subtle Ways to Know Someone Doesn’t Like You (Look For These Signs)

Does your “bestie” seem to act lukewarm whenever they are around you? Have you been trying to spend time with a group of new friends that often give you the cold shoulder? If you are trying to form a bond with people who just aren’t into it, then you are wasting your precious time and your giving heart.

No one wants to spend their lives building relationships that are doomed from the start. That may sound pessimistic, but it is actually proactive. If you weed out the people who aren’t super excited about spending time with you, and focus your time and energy on those who do, you’ll not only have better friendships, but you’ll save yourself a ton of heartbreak in the process.

How do you know if someone is keen on spending time with you, or they are just doing it due to habit, circumstance, or duty? You may already suspect that someone isn’t jiving with you, but you can pick up on some subtle cues to know for sure.

MORE: 10 Guaranteed Signs He Doesn’t Like You

You don’t need to be paranoid about asking yourself these questions (being paranoid will hurt you) but if you have a niggling feeling that someone is hanging out with you for the wrong reasons, or that they don’t value your friendship as much as you do, these tips can help you know for sure.

In a world where people are trained to be polite, never speak their truth, and always be smiling even when they don’t necessarily want to, it can get confusing to determine if someone wants to be around you or not. Check their sincerity with the following tips. These things reveal someone’s true feelings for you, even if they are “too polite” to tell you to your face that they just aren’t interested in developing a closer relationship with you.

Having this clarity about how someone feels is a gift. It allows you to focus your attention on people who will love you back.

Take The Quiz: Does He Like You?

Click here to take our quick (and shockingly accurate) “Does He Like You” Quiz right now and find out once and for all if he likes you…

MORE: Huge Giveaway Signs He Doesn’t Like You Through Texting

1. They Close Themselves Off with Their Body Language

Introverts and extroverts tend to carry themselves physically in different ways, with introverts tending to make smaller movements, and a tendency to make themselves smaller so as not to draw attention to themselves, while experts tend to make big movements, talk in grandiose ways, and generally draw attention to themselves in whatever way that they can.

Both types of people will give themselves away when it comes to their interest in you with their body language, though.

Negative or closed body posture indicates that someone doesn’t want to be around you, and may only be there to keep up appearances and be polite. Negative or closed body language signals include:

  • Never looking you in the eyes
  • Physically turning their body or part of their body away from you
  • Crossed arms or legs
  • They hide behind a purse, backpack or bag
  • Looking down or away from where you are sitting or standing
  • Huddling up as if they are trying to protect themselves from you

2. They Don’t Offer You a Sincere Smile

A smile is a subconscious reaction to seeing someone or something you like. A sincere one can’t be faked. Guillaume Duchenne, a French neurologist explains that fake smiles are accomplished with using entirely different muscles than real smiles. A real smile causes us to use the muscles around our eyes called the orbicularis oculi. If someone is faking a smile, those muscles simply don’t engage.

MORE: 11 Enormous Signs He’s Not Serious About You

3. They Don’t Mirror You

When you like another person you will mimic their body language, and sometimes even the tone or quality of their voice. This has some deeply profound implications, because mirroring may start from your heart. That’s because we have cellular memories which tell us what kind of person we can trust and be “open-hearted” with and the kind of people we should be a little wary of.

If someone is mirroring your body position, hand position, attitude, or tone of voice it means that they are saying, “hey look, I’m just like you.” It also reflects a subconscious desire for people to find affinity with one another or common ground.

Researcher Geoffrey Beattie did find that women are more likely to mirror other women and that men are reluctant to mirror a woman unless he is in courtship mode, but you can take it as a positive sign that someone wants to be around you if they are mirroring your actions.

MORE: The Absolute Best Way To Get Over A Guy Who Doesn’t Like You

4. They Don’t Look You in the Eyes

People who won’t look you in the eyes are trying to hide something, and sometimes that “something” is that they don’t really like you that much. Researchers have observed the interactions between friends and lovers and found that eye contact reveals how people truly feel about one another.

This might be because there are more neurons dedicated to our eyes than any of the other four senses. Those neurons reflect what our eyes are taking in and if we like someone, are attracted to them or just enjoy being around them, then we’ll make eye contact.

5. You’re Conversation is Clipped

If someone is excited to talk to you, they won’t give you one syllable answers to questions. They will also ask about you, your day, or things you are interested in. If you find that your conversations with someone are clipped or cut short because they suddenly need to take another call or have other priorities, and they just don’t want to extend the conversation, then they may not be interested in maintaining a friendship with you. If you say, for instance, “I just had the most amazing day!” And all they respond with is, “that’s nice,” then it’s time to move on to someone who will ask instead, “that’s amazing what happened?!”

MORE: 11 Definite Signs He Doesn’t Like You

6. There is Little or No Touch

It doesn’t matter if you are talking about a platonic friendship or a love interest, people touch either when they are interested in being around one another. Take a cue from Bonobo monkeys. They touch each other constantly, even sexually often, as a way to maintain social stability. Though human beings are a little more reserved, they do the same thing when they are interested in maintaining a relationship.

7. They Never Make Plans with You

If you are the one to make plans with another person every single time, and they never reciprocate then they may not be all that into hanging out with you. A true friendship or even a romantic relationship will be about 50-50. Even if someone is more of a go out on the town person while the other likes to stay at home for a movie – they’ll invite you to either paint the town red with them or go on a Netflix binge when they really like you.

MORE: How to Know He’s Not Interested: 32 Big Signs He Doesn’t Like You Back

8. They Never Listen

Friend and lovers who value you your thoughts, ideas, and opinions will ask you what you think, and truly listen. Heck, if a man likes a woman he’ll remember inconsequential things she tells him for months or even years. If someone is constantly talking just to aggrandize themselves and they never ask you what you think, then run. This isn’t a friend. It’s a narcissist.

9. They Always Bail on You

We all have things that come up which cause us to have to break plans – even with people we absolutely love spending time with. However, if you find that your “friend” leaves you sitting alone at a table for two for lunch more than once or twice, or they just bail on plans that you make consistently, it may be time to find someone who will respect you more. Your time is just as valuable as there’s after all, and when people like being with you, they consider it a privilege to spend time with you.

MORE: When Someone Just Doesn’t Like You

10. Things Just Feel Awkward

Sometimes you’ll just feel awkward around something you aren’t vibing with. Maybe there are too many long silences. Maybe you can’t ever decide what to do together. Maybe you just feel weird being around them. If someone is feeling this way about you, it isn’t your fault. We’re all attracted to others (romantically and in friendships) based on factors that we don’t always consciously understand. If things are awkward, just chalk it up as a lesson. Find someone to hang with that makes the hours pass like minutes.

11. They Only Respond with Emojis

We know that the digital, mobile world we live in causes people to communicate in totally new and different ways, but if your friends only send you smiley faces or sad faces to communicate with you over text messages, then they may not be that interested in talking with you. How much effort does it really take to type a full sentence? If they can’t even do that, then maybe it’s time to look for people who have more time to invest in you.

MORE: Signs He Doesn’t Like You Anymore

12. You Feel It in Your Gut

Our instincts about someone are correct more often than we give ourselves credit for. If someone is always polite to you, smiles, and even makes eye contact, but you just feel that something isn’t right in your gut, you should honor that. You may know something about them intuitively that hasn’t come to your conscious awareness yet, that is signaling for you to walk away.

This article shows you several ways to tell if someone doesn’t like you, now in any relationship I’ve found there are 2 pivotal moments that determine if your relationship ends in heartbreak or you get to live happily ever after so it’s vitally important that you take the next step and read this right now, because at some point the man you want is going to ask himself: Is this the woman I should commit to for the long term? That answer determines everything… Do you know how men determine if a woman is girlfriend material (the type of woman he commits himself to) or if he sees you as just a fling? If not you need to read this next: The #1 Thing Men Desire In A Woman…

The second problem almost all women experience: At some point he starts to lose interest. He doesn’t call you back or he becomes emotionally closed off. He seems like he’s losing interest or pulling away – do you know what to do? If not you’re putting your relationship and the future of your love life in great danger, read this now or risk losing him forever: If He’s Pulling Away, Do This…

Want to find out if he really likes you? Click here to take our quick (and shockingly accurate) “Does He Like You” Quiz right now and find out once and for all if he likes you…

Take The Quiz: Does He Like You?

In summary…

12 Subtle Ways to Know Someone Doesn’t Like You

  1. They Close Themselves Off with Their Body Language
  2. They Don’t Offer You a Sincere Smile
  3. They Don’t Mirror You
  4. They Don’t Look You in the Eyes
  5. You’re Conversation is Clipped
  6. There is Little or No Touch
  7. They Never Make Plans with You
  8. They Never Listen
  9. They Always Bail on You
  10. Things Just Feel Awkward
  11. They Only Respond with Emojis
  12. You Feel It in Your Gut

how to tell signs someone doesnt like you

39 comments… add one
  • truth March 31, 2021, 12:24 pm

    My cousins are haters. Makes life even more difficult, because our parents have to stay neutral so naturally the family is on their side and I’m outcast. Life moves on, in solitude for me. As I leave my entire generation of family behind in the shadows.

  • No name March 10, 2021, 11:36 pm

    Most of this I would agree with

    Although life brings along change and with that , the people who you consider friends slowly fade away but you will be left with maybe 1 or 2 close friends, if you don’t however take it as a blessing that you don’t have those people in your life anymore that where not ment to be , i this case it’s up to you to get out there and circulate and socialize and meet people , and then as life goes on you will one day meet new people and you find a new friend that you may connect with to , over the years I have experienced hanging out with a big group of friends then that group slowly fades away and I have 2 people that I’m very close to from that group.

    I have a comment about eye contact , there are some people that may not give another person eye contact because they are very uncomfortable in themselves .

    Also some friends you have may find themselfs feeling uncomfortable feelings towards you if you for example become very successful or if you are a male you seem to be getting all the lady’s but your best friend isn’t .

    And also there are some people that may be going through a mental health issue and are unable to connect with the other person

    The People that care about you will always be there i your life the people that don’t care are either lingering around or are not there anymore , it’s up to you to take a good look around

  • Cortney March 5, 2021, 9:45 am

    I was so tired of “friends” acting fake, so I asked google the simple question of..how to tell if a friend really dies not like you. Well I guess ALL my so called friends arent fond of me at all!! They all do atleast 4 of these things to me and I have ALWAYS been the one calling, texting and making plans that ALWAYS fall through with everyone!!!! I guess now I will have to start over with new friendships because Im so tired of being treated this way. How sad that Im a big hearted loving person yet people dislike me??? Hey that is their loss then.

  • kay November 12, 2020, 12:48 pm

    A lot of these tips don’t work if the person you are trying to figure out is autistic, very shy, or from a different cultural background. You need to know the individual well enough to know what their norm is, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all way to understand human behavior.

  • Alice November 1, 2020, 4:36 am

    I was good friends with my neighbour. She introduced me to the woman a few doors down. I picked up on the fact, the woman doesn’t like me. I was invited to the movies by my neighbour. I refused to go, when I found out the other woman was going & a friend of hers as well. Now, I no longer talk to my neighbour, because she expects me to be friends with this other woman. I read all of the article about people who don’t like me. The woman down the road, does all of these things. I’m glad I read this article. I can’t be expected to be friends with a woman, who makes me feel uncomfortable. I won’t take my neighbours’ calls anymore. We ignore and avoid each other now. It’s sad ! But I won’t back down. The other woman is toxic. One day my neighbour will see how ‘false’ that woman is ! ☺

  • Peculiar September 6, 2020, 10:06 am

    I love this

  • Peculiar September 6, 2020, 10:05 am

    I tordly love this
    I don’t really care about all this I just wanna work harder so I can be a better person and make my mama proud
    My happiness is what matters most after all

  • Suzie Q December 30, 2019, 8:37 pm

    I had a falling out with my husbands family. I said to my sister in law your husbands a
    doctor hes doing well. She replied he worked hard and hardly talks to me.
    I told me niece in conversation: he probably helped you with your business, she doesnot speak to me. I did send an apology letter, and there response was No Offense
    we all grow and move on. I am getting mixed messages from the whole family, as I did
    skype them over the holidays and their body language was very clear to me.
    I experienced The Silent treatment/ fake smiling/ waving to say Hello and they keep their distance from me.
    I want to tell them how I feel about this and let them know I have moved on.
    What advice can you give me.
    Thank You

  • nicolette November 8, 2018, 5:30 pm

    will take note of these signs. it would be easier to know if someone dislikes you if you can interpret their body language.

  • kate October 30, 2018, 6:30 pm

    i hate people who never value my thoughts. it means they are not listening and not interested at all. i don’t waste my time with people like this. clearly shows they don’t like me.

    • Jessica December 17, 2020, 7:56 pm

      I agree with Kate

  • everly October 29, 2018, 1:30 pm

    if he doesn’t even make plans with you and he seems a bit distant, it means he doesn’t like you a much. a man who is interested with a woman will try his best to be with her all the time.

  • safiya October 27, 2018, 7:37 pm

    these tips will help me know for sure if someone is just pretending to like me for some reasons. i hate plastic people so i am very happy i found this article. will also share with my loved ones.

  • cheryl October 24, 2018, 1:22 pm

    when someone likes you, he would flirt and stare at you and even try to touch you. if a man doesn’t do all these and is forever nice and friendly with you, it might be time to consider he’s only a friend and that’s the only thing he wants you to be too.

  • cathleen October 23, 2018, 7:22 pm

    yeah, all of these signs absolutely make sense. this article helped me better understand his true feelings for me. glad i don’t see any of these signs. :)

  • jinky October 22, 2018, 1:19 pm

    if this guy doesn’t seem to pay attention to what you’re saying and is still clueless about you and the things you like, he’s not worth your time. only those who care enough will listen to you and most of all, remember the things you say.

  • jeannie October 19, 2018, 7:01 pm

    i don’t understand why i am always getting bad vibes whenever i am around this person. she always ignores me too! i guess she doesn’t like me at all.

  • felicity October 18, 2018, 6:16 pm

    i want to know how can i find out if there are people who pretend that they like me but they really don’t. i really hate fake people!!!

  • kirsten October 17, 2018, 6:49 pm

    it really sucks when someone doesn’t like you. hope this will not happen to me. sharing these signs really helps.

  • natalie October 17, 2018, 1:45 pm

    if a guy doesn’t even look you in the eye, that could mean he doesn’t like you. if he is true and genuine, his actions will show it effortlessly.

  • leigh October 16, 2018, 6:23 pm

    i no longer need to turn myself into some kind of detective but there is one thing i know for sure; we cannot please everyone. i will watch out for these signs and i am so happy you shared this.

  • krisha October 15, 2018, 12:25 pm

    if a guy always bails on you, that’s a big sign he doesn’t want to be with you. if a guy likes you, he’ll be the one making plans and reaching out to you. he won’t keep you waiting and most definitely not bail on you.

  • mimi October 12, 2018, 7:44 pm

    They hide behind a purse, backpack or bag – this is funny but yes it really happens! hahaha!

  • cassidy October 10, 2018, 7:26 pm

    hmmm. the next time i get the feeling that someone doesn’t like me, i will definitely analyze their body language and look for this signs.

  • veniz October 9, 2018, 1:02 pm

    you would just know because it will be so awkward. read on for the signs and be sure to watch out for them.

  • tyra October 8, 2018, 6:22 pm

    i have a hunch that someone in our office doesn’t like me. i think it’s time for me to look for these signs. thank you by the way for sharing this.

  • joanna October 5, 2018, 10:24 pm

    these signs are just the real thing. make sure you remember them and don’t get confused.

  • irena October 4, 2018, 5:22 pm

    i’ve learned that peoples opinions about one another change. you do not have complete control on this. sometimes, people don’t want to be friends anymore because of their dislikes about one another.

  • rebbie October 3, 2018, 8:44 pm

    a man who really likes a woman will always make plans to see her. if a guy doesn’t seem to make such efforts, he may not be into you at all.

  • emmaline October 2, 2018, 7:32 pm

    these tips will definitely help me! i don’t want to overthink but i suspect that someone doesn’t like me in our group. it’s very hard. i don’t really feel comfortable and i want to do something about it.

  • angeline October 1, 2018, 4:46 pm

    a guy who is interested would always make time and plans just so he can be with you. if he does the opposite, it’s safe to say he doesn’t like nor want to spend time with you.

  • roxanne September 27, 2018, 4:29 pm

    if he distances himself from you, then it clearly means he doesn’t like you. this is what happens first if you are not interested in talking or being around someone.

  • carlisle September 26, 2018, 12:22 pm

    they don’t offer you help, they don’t seem to be eager to be with you, etc. these signs are all true and if you see at least 1 or 2 in the guy you’re dating, think twice and really try to figure things out before allowing yourself fall for the wrong guy.

  • alexis September 25, 2018, 4:38 pm

    thank you so much for this amazing article! goodbye paranoia! i have new ways to find out if someone doesn’t like me.

  • colina September 24, 2018, 5:48 pm

    those things you pointed out about closing off with body language ..wow! it blew my mind but it really makes sense. i realized that just now, and thank you for adding it on your list. a lot of women will learn form this.

  • lara September 21, 2018, 6:08 pm

    thanks! the next time i get the feeling that someone likes me, i will absolutely analyze his body language first. i knew i can never go wrong with this tactic.

  • nikka September 20, 2018, 7:13 pm

    they won’t look you in the eyes, just playing games until they get what they really want and then… BOOM! before you know it, they’re gone!

  • ofelia September 19, 2018, 4:28 pm

    you can’t go wrong with body language. if you want to know if someone likes or doesn’t like you, pay attention to their actions.

  • venice September 18, 2018, 1:21 pm

    if you’re really clueless, check out their body language. the way they move says it all. if you think he’s closing off when he’s with you, he might be not not interested at all.

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