Do you think a guy likes you but is downplaying his feelings? Then he probably is.
But to confirm this, check out the obvious signs he likes you but is playing it cool in this comprehensive list.
Let’s dive in.
Clear Signs He Likes You But Is Playing It Cool
Ready to know what gives him away? Let’s go!
1. His Body Language Tells It All
Before getting all deep into psychological signs a guy likes you, you’ll realize that his body language is different when around you.
- His eye contact will usually be more intense with you than with anybody else
- He’ll start blushing when you catch him looking at you
- He’ll direct his chest and feet towards you and continually check whether you notice him
- He’ll constantly groom himself when you’re together – lik brushing his hair or straightning his shirt
2. He’s All Ears When You Talk
A guy who likes you would subconsciously want to let you know he’s interested in you. So if you’re talking to him, he’ll give you all his attention, keep his phone down, and ward off any distractions.
3. He Makes Excuses To Spend Time With You
When a guy who likes yo is around you, dopamine (the feel-good chemical) is released more than usual which makes him feel happier and so the desire to be around you more arises.
So even if he isn’t used to going to church, he might fake a reason to go so he can be where you are. Even if he had plans, he might cancel them saying they were not that important – just to spend more time with you. You get the point.
4. He Strives To Get To Know You Indirectly
If you hear from someone that a guy was asking them about you, that guy likely likes you.
Even if he’s shy to let you know directly, a guy who’s in love with you will take every opportunity to know you through your friends, family, and even the receptionist at the coffee shop you visit often. Stuff about your love life like your relationship status will be among his top questions.
Or even if people don’t tell you about his queries, you’ll realize that he knows too much about you when you get to talk.
5. He Tells You Intimate Details About His Life
If he tells you everything going on in his life and you know much of his past from him as well, chances are, he likes you.
He subconsciously wants you to be part of his life and so finds himself oversharing. He’ll tell you some sensitive story about his family dynamics or even what he’s taking for dinner — anything to make him feel close to you.
Related: Psychological Signs Someone Likes You
6. He’s One Of Your Greatest Cheerleaders
If a man likes you, he’ll empower you to reach your greatest heights.
Chances are, he’ll go to great lengths to make you feel most comfortable about yourself and pump your motivation to reach the goals you desire.
7. He Invites You To Dates In Disguise
If a guy secretly likes you, he won’t ask you out on normal dates because that’ll blow his cover, right? But one thing he’ll compensate with for sure? Secret dates.
He’ll invite you as his plus one for some dinner party. He’ll tell you to tag along for some family event so that he can seem like he’s not the only one who’s single. He might even tell you that he’s researching birds so you should come too since you like birds.
Of course, he’ll know what to lure you with so if he invites you to events and places just because you might like it, know that he probably likes you.
8. He Comes Wherever You Invite Him
Even if he has never gathered enough courage to invite you somewhere, he’ll likely jump at the opportunity when you invite him someplace.
So try it. If he takes the bait, then this guy probably likes you.
9. He Enjoys Making Physical Contact With You
Whether he frequently hugs you, likes sitting next to you where you can touch, or keeps taking strands of hair away from your face, a guy who likes you will probably find opportunities to touch.
Related: Clear Signs He Caught Feelings For You
10. He Often Responds Fast When You Reach Out
We usually know how important we are to someone depending on how fast they respond to us when we contact them. With exceptions of certain personalities and circumstances of course.
But if this guy texts back at lightning speed or is almost always there to pick up your call, he probably likes you.
11. He Frequently Asks What You Or “Ladies” Look For In A Man
If this guy keeps bringing up the topic of what you like in a man, he probably longs to know the kind of man you like. And secretly wishes he fit the description of your dream man.
Pay attention because even if he doesn’t directly ask you what you like, he’ll ask what ladies like in a man. He knows you’ll explain your boyfriend goals somewhere so he’ll use that trick trying to play it cool.
12. He Seems Oddly Interested In Your Past Relationships
Apart from your future, this guy might ask about your past relationships to know your likes and dealbreakers well.
He’ll especially enjoy it when you tell him where your boyfriends messed up so he can work on being better than them. If he does this, he probably likes you but is playing it cool.
13. He Strives To Be Your Hero All The Time
Ever heard of the hero instinct? It’s a type of phenomenon that happens to a man especially when he’s in love with someone. He enjoys being useful to them since it’s the only way he’d feel he has earned their love.
So in your case, the guy who likes you might always come to your rescue in one way or another, doing you favors you ask or even don’t ask for – just for him to feel valuable to you.
If you’ve noted such behavior in a guy, this is one of the psychological signs he likes you but is playing cool.
Related: 21 Ways To Unveil The Hero Instinct In Men
14. He Makes Jokes On You Two Being Together
A guy might tell you he likes you by talking about scenarios where the two of you are a couple in a non-serious way. Of course, he’s serious. But he’s trying to crack a few jokes to hide his true feelings.
He might say something like, “We have better chances of working out than these two don’t you think? Haha, just kidding.”
Even if he says these subtle things in non-serious ways, you can notice that he likes you if you pay attention.
15. He Checks Your Response To His Charm
Have you ever felt like this guy you’re suspecting is in love with you tries extra hard to be visible around you?
Everybody might laugh at his joke but he’ll look at you to see how you’ve reacted. He’ll talk to the rest of the room but you can see how much he’s trying to see whether you’re looking at him. You get the point.
If he constantly pays attention to your reaction to his charming attempts, this man likes you.
16. He’s Known To Be A Shy Guy But Acts Extroverted Around You
Everybody knows this guy is shy, but when you two are alone together, it’s like he steps out of character and becomes this free-spirited extroverted person.
He does this probably because he likes you.
17. He Wants To Be Your Best Friend
A shy guy might try to be your best friend because they like you. They’re not playing games or anything, they just think with you as their friend, they can at last open up about their feelings.
They might also naturally gravitate to the position of a best friend without their knowledge because they want the best for you and are there for you through thick and thin.
If you’re wondering whether your guy friend is in love with you, here are Subtle Signs He Likes You MORE Than A Friend to take note of.
18. He Remembers Small Details About You
Apart from listening attentively to you, a guy who likes you will also remember the mini details he gets to know about you.
Even if he doesn’t make grand gestures to show you his feelings, he might throw you a surprise party you always longed for, give you a thoughtful gift or do anything that makes you wonder, “How come he remembers such a small detail?”
Well, here’s the answer — he likes you.
19. He Compliments You Uniquely
Well everybody tells you that you have beautiful hair or that you’re the kindest person they know. But not him. His compliments are beyond the obvious details about your beauty or character.
- You look stunningly resilient whenever you’re under pressure
- You wear the most stylish hairstyles I’ve ever seen on any woman
- You have such a warm sense of humor
- I love how genuine your laughs are
- You look really attractive every time you brush your hair behind your ear
He’s really specific about his compliments. And they definitely make you feel special.
If this is true, then this guy is probably in love with you.
20. He Treats You Like You’re His Girlfriend
You’re just friends but he treats you like you’re his girlfriend.
Whenever you’re buying something, he often offers to pay for you. He brings you random gifts giving justifying excuses like, “I saw this and thought you might like it.” He’s extra loving to your loved ones perhaps even going out of his way to do favors for them.
He might not be a hopeless romantic but if he does simple stuff that men only do to their girlfriends, then he possibly wishes you were his but is yet to tell you.
21. He Gets Nervous When People Ask If You’re A Couple
From flushed cheeks to fidgeting, this guy you suspect likes you always get extremely nervous when someone asks whether you’re together.
He might rushedly say “no” or even be unable to talk in such moments because he gets caught off guard while hiding his true feelings.
22. He Comes To You For Advice
Okay, it’s either you’re known to be a great advisor or that this guy comes to you for advice because he likes you. Or both.
23. He Acts Jealous When You Talk About Some Love Interest
Whether you’re talking fondly of your ex or some guy that asked you out, this guy who secretly likes you shows some hint of jealousy in his actions.
He might dismiss such conversations or paint the guy in a negative light or something like that so that you can see him and only him. The problem is, he’s not telling you about his feelings.
24. He Shows Off His Best Qualities When Around You
Whether it’s his intellect, looks, or wild sense of humor, a guy that likes you will try to flaunt what he thinks is his most attractive qualities when around you.
He won’t tell you how much he likes you but his behavior will.
25. You Frequently Catch Him Staring
This is an obvious sign a man likes you everybody knows. Whenever you look in his direction, you’ll either find him staring at you or turning away so you don’t catch him staring.
All the other guys might look in your direction for some reason but the guy who likes you will be staring at you frequently.
26. You Feel The Chemistry
If you can feel sparks flying when you’re together, that guy probably likes you. Women sense it you know.
When you’re together, you’ll feel some connection and your conversations will flow beyond midnight if given a chance. This is a good sign he likes you too.
27. He’s Always Available For You
It’s popular knowledge that if someone likes you, they’ll be available to you most but if one doesn’t like you, he’ll be too busy to have time for you.
So if this guy you’re wondering about is always there when you need him, think about it, he probably has feelings for you.
28. He Follows Up On Your Social Media
Even if from the sidelines, a guy who follows keenly on your social media pages probably feels something for you.
Keep in mind that he might not comment, like, or react to your posts — all these things aren’t necessarily indicative of someone’s feelings anyway. But if you can see him on the “people who viewed your posts” list frequently, he’s into you.
29. He Always Seems Happy To See You
What do you do when you see someone you have feelings for? You light up right?
So if he can’t help but have a big smile on his face when he meets with you, he possibly likes you. He even might add a “good to see you” comment to confirm this clear sign he likes you but is playing it cool.
30. He Often Checks Up On You
“Hey, how you doing? — just checking up on you.”
He might not talk much. But if he keeps checking up on you, he might be genuinely interested in you.
31. His Loved Ones Know About You
Okay last but not least, a guy that likes you will tell his loved ones about it, even if he keeps playing it cool.
So if his friends or family seem to know much about you even if you’re not close, chances are, he likes you and can’t keep his mouth shut about you. He’s just playing it cool.
Related: How To Tell If A Guy Likes You But Is Hiding It
Do Guys Play It Cool If They Like You?
Some guys play it cool even if they are into you. They send you mixed signals, behaving hot and cold because they’re trying to cover up their true feelings for you. But they never succeed because the following signs sell them out:
- His Body Language Tells It All
- He’s All Ears When You Talk
- He Makes Excuses To Spend Time With You
- He Strives To Get To Know You Indirectly
- He Tells You Intimate Details About His Life
- He’s One Of Your Greatest Cheerleaders
- He Invites You To Dates In Disguise
- He Comes Wherever You Invite Him
- He Enjoys Making body Contact With You
- He Often Responds Fast When You Reach Out
- He Frequently Asks What You Or “Ladies” Looking For In A Man
- He often maintains eye contact with you
You can find a more comprehensive list of certain signs he likes you but is playing it cool above.
How Do You Tell If A Guy Genuinely Likes You Or Is Playing You?
If a guy truly likes you, he’ll consistently show it with his body language plus he’ll always try to be your hero. He’ll show most of the above subtle signs a guy likes you. But a guy who’s playing you will show interest for some time yet you’ll soon catch him flirting with other girls.
How Do You Tell If A Man Is Attracted To You But Hiding It?
If he’s into you but is hiding his feelings, here are signs to let you know.
- He Strives To Be Your Hero All The Time
- He Makes Jokes On You Two Being Together
- He Checks Your Response To His Charm
- He Shows Off His Best Qualities When Around You
- You Frequently Catch Him Staring
- He Wants To Be Your Best Friend
- He Remembers Details About You
- He Compliments You Uniquely
- He Treats You Like You’re His Girlfriend
- He Gets Nervous When People Ask If You’re A Couple
- He Comes To You For Advice
- He often makes eye contact with you
- He Acts Jealous When You Talk About Some Love Interest
How Do You Know If A Guy Has Strong Feelings For You?
One of the greatest signs he has strong feelings for you is his constant contact. Whether physical or on text and call, he’ll always try to be close to you. He’ll make excuses to spend time with you physically and check up on you frequently.
Psychological Signs Someone Likes You
Even during the early stages of knowing someone, you can know someone likes you through these psychological signs:
- He’s ecstatic when he sees you
- He acts on his hero instinct by being available to you always
- He shows off his best qualities when around you
- He comes to you to ask for advice
- He listens attentively whenever you talk
- His body language speaks love like how his feet and chest are constantly positioned in your direction, how he frequently seeks bodily contact with you e.t.c
- He keeps making eye contact with you before blushing away
- He keeps standing or sitting close to you
- He avoids talking about other women when with you
- He acts differently when around you
Final Word
If you’ve been wondering whether some guy likes you, I trust you now have your answer. In case he shows most of the above signs he likes you but is playing it cool, then he is into you.
So what are you going to do about it?
If you like him, you can lead him on until he gets comfortable opening up to you about his feelings. In case you don’t, don’t lead him on only to hurt him in the end. You can still stay friends.
Otherwise, thanks for stopping by!
