The physical signs a woman is interested in you are far from revealing. They are subtle and graceful. Perhaps a friend of yours is laughing at your lamest jokes or making eye contact a little too often in your conversations. Or, when a girl stands close to you in a crowded place like in a bar and your fingers brush against each other. In those moments, you can’t help but wonder, “What does it mean when a woman touches your hand? Is she flirting?”
Women drop these hints quite often – that is if they are interested in you. But sometimes you misread the signs she is smitten with you and embarrass yourself by making the first move. And sometimes, you don’t pay close attention to catch the subtle hints from a woman dripping with sexual interest. Men, especially, are often silly when Cupid strikes – almost borderline awkward.
Naturally, you keep hunting for obvious physical signs she has a crush on you because you still can’t figure out whether her inviting body language is an indication of romantic interest or it’s all in your head. Well, don’t you worry! We are here to help you decode all these nonverbal signs and read the mind of your mystery woman!
What Are Physical Signs Of Attraction?
The general dating dynamic suggests that in most cases, the man would make the first move, initiate a conversation, and pursue a woman for a romantic relationship. But we often miss out on the subtle body language signs coming from a woman to fuel the man’s actions. These physical signs of attraction basically refer to certain facial expressions, body movements, and gestures that happen to be absolutely delicate and minimalistic.
From a quick glance to a genuine smile to looking deliberately enchanting to turn the charm on you or slight changes in her behavior around you – it could be anything of the sort. Because women are a little nifty that way, they manage just fine to hide these flirty moves from everyone but the guy she’s attracted to. Since these clues are shrouded, how can you tell when a woman is interested in you?
Psychologist Monica M. Moore conducted a study on 200 female subjects to observe these signs of attraction and cataloged 52 such nonverbal cues that reveal physical attraction. We can quickly scan through some of the frequent ‘flirting behaviors’ a girl would exploit to draw attention of a guy:
- Short darting glance
- Flipping her hair
- Licking her lips or lip biting
- Laughing often and giving you a coy smile
- Prolonged eye contact
- Gently touching you on your face, arm, or leg
- Leaning toward you while talking
- Holding your hands or giving you a shoulder hug
Now guys pay attention here! Reading female body language love signals might go wrong on many levels. So, we share our pearls of wisdom to assure you make the right move at the right moment and don’t overwhelm a girl with your big romantic gestures when she’s not into you in reality:
- Read the room first: Don’t rip these body language signs from the context. One of your classmates smiling at you as you cross paths in the hallway or giving you a hug to thank you for the notes doesn’t guarantee anything. If you look around, you might see that she is naturally touchy-feely and super nice to everyone. You can’t isolate her gestures as a strong sign of romantic interest until she is more explicit about her intentions
- Don’t take a one-time cue for the holy grail: Bonobology told you lip-biting is one of the signs a woman is sexually attracted to you and now you can’t stop thinking about that cute girl who bit her lower lip staring at you that one time! Yes, it’s a good sign for sure but have you seen any other advancement on her part since then? If not, we think it’s better you drop the matter now. One signal, one time is not substantial enough to validate her feelings for you
Related Reading: 15 Signs A Woman Is Not Attracted To You And What To Do Next
15 Physical Signs A Woman Is Interested In You
What does it mean when a woman stretches in front of you? We bet that’s got to be a tricky image to wipe off your head. Women are an enigma to men – full of mysteries, difficult to interpret. Perhaps she won’t talk to you but maintain eye contact the whole time you are in the same room and it’s simply electrifying!
Women’s body language when attracted to a man isn’t always very overt. Some of these signs are subtle, while others you can figure out easily. Let us help you in decoding some signs of female body language attraction that have puzzled you. It will only make you more confident on the dating front – someone who doesn’t knock at a girl’s door with a ring because she touched his arm for five Mississippi.
1. She fiddles with things
When people are nervous or uncomfortable, they fidget. For instance, some men play with their collars and some women brush their hair with their hands. So, if a woman fidgets with things when she is around you – it is one of the clear signs a woman is sexually attracted to you.
She may gently caress the rim of the wine glass in her hand, tap her fingers on the table, or even steal glances while doing so. However, you need to follow a trail of nonverbal signs of falling in love because this alone could also mean she was merely anxious at that moment.
2. She makes an effort to look great in front of you
Dressing up like a minx to hypnotize you with her appeal – that’s page one of a woman’s playbook! When you are trying to figure out signs of seduction from a woman, you may want to pay attention to how she dresses up. Tell me if these sound relatable to you:
- Has she suddenly started putting more thought into her outfits – maybe even wearing slightly revealing ones?
- Does she remove her jacket when you are around?
- Do you think she is spending extra time on a special hairdo or putting on a lustrous lip gloss so you find her irresistible?
- Is she constantly fixing her hair or reapplying makeup to look perfect when you are there?
If yes, you may want to step up your game too because it seems like she is hoping to break the physical barriers and get closer to you!
3. She will sit next to you
How to tell if a woman is attracted to you but hiding it? She may not express it with so many words but she would try to enjoy your company in close physical proximity. If the woman likes you, she will come and sit next to you. And if she has been doing that often, like even rushing a little ahead so that she can reserve a seat for you, or, if the girl brushes against you on purpose at the lunch table, you may want to give her a little attention too. It is definitely among the physical signs a woman is interested in you.
Related Reading: 10 Things She Starts Doing When She Has A Crush On Someone
4. She will lean toward you if she is fond of you
Leaning in is often considered a subconscious sign of female attraction. I mean, just imagine, a beautiful woman whispering softly into your ears, so close that you can feel her breath on your shoulder! She is not going all the way but clearly setting the ground for impending physical contact. By tilting slightly forward, a woman denotes that she is comfortable in your personal space and, at the same time, respects it. Don’t overlook these physical signs that indicate attraction if you want to ask out that beautiful woman.
5. She maintains eye contact
What does it mean when a girl turns her head to look at you? Or you suddenly look at the other side of a room and see a woman already staring at you! There’s no doubt that nothing builds such strong chemistry as eye contact attraction. This is one of the huge signs a woman is attracted to you. Here’s how you pick an eye contact cue:
- If she has a crush on you, she will certainly steal glances at you a little too often
- During conversations, she will engage in prolonged eye contact, but not to the extent of gawking
- When you talk to others in a crowd, you may find her neck slightly tilted and her gaze dreamily fixed on you
- A girl looking down as you catch her staring or feeling a little shy and looking away after maintaining eye contact for a while is one of the signs she likes you but is hiding it
6. Twirling of hair is among body language signs she’s attracted to you
If you aren’t so well-versed in girly body language signs, let’s break it to you – twirling her hair is a classic move to get a man attracted to her. Playing with the locks, curling a strand with a finger, or softly stroking through the hair to tuck it behind her ears – all textbook signals that a woman desires more intimacy and physical contact. It won’t be so over the line to see if she would want to have a coffee with you sometimes. We know it will be a ‘yes’!
7. She will blush around you if you make her heart flutter
Blushing and coyness are big-time female body language love signals! If a woman blushes every time she sees you – gets a rosy flush on her face or just smiles shyly – it could mean that she likes you. Blushing is among the physical signs a woman is interested in you because it is an involuntary response of the body to a situation. Nervousness could set it off. It is possible that she feels nervous around you and therefore, blushes. So, what do you say? Want to make someone blush? (wink!)
8. She nods while talking to you
It’s always pretty evident in the body language when someone likes you and you will know it when a girl is actively indulging in conversations with you. For instance, she will nod as you speak and might listen to you intently without so much of an interruption. Her interested face and eyes locked in yours will tell you how much she is enjoying your warm company.
Her efforts to keep the conversations going will be quite obvious and you just know that you have her full attention. This effort and curiosity make for clear signs of female attraction. If you notice these signs, you may want to reciprocate her feelings. No harm done in taking a step forward – just saying!
Related Reading: 23 Signs A Girl Likes You More Than A Friend
9. Her face lights up to see you
Isn’t that the sweetest female body language sign of all? We have all had that special someone in our life whom we wait patiently to see the next time, even if for a few moments. And the moment they come into our sight, our face lights up in joy and the world suddenly becomes a beautiful sunnier place. We tell you how to catch that light in the face of your mystery lady:
- There’s a big broad smile on her face and it barely vanishes as long as you are there
- Her eyes will wander all around the place looking for you
- When you are close to each other, you will notice her pupils dilated because that’s what oxytocin does to a person in love
- Her nostrils will be flared and if you notice closely, you might see she is breathing faster than usual
10. She will touch you
What reveals attraction more than physical contact? Does it seem like she looks for opportunities to touch you? That’s one way to understand if she is sending you the signal, “How many times do I have to touch your arm before you ask me on a date?” These touches may not always be overtly sexual, could be a normal pat on the back. But you better not ignore these physical signs a woman is interested in you:
- She might casually graze your arm and hold your hands during a conversation
- She would give you a shoulder hug when you are upset
- She would intentionally brush herself against you as you walk past each other
- If she is a little too much into you, she might touch your thigh when you are driving or sitting next to her
- Playing footsie in a restaurant is always a classic sign of attraction
- When a woman’s feet are pointed toward you, it says she wants her next destination to be in your arms
11. She is dorky around you
You can always tell it from the body language when someone likes you. And one of the huge signs a woman is attracted to you is when she lets her guard down and starts acting differently around you. Let me guess, until now you have always seen one side of this woman – the polite, poised version.
But you know she has a thing for you when she shows you her dorky side. She will act silly or goofy and won’t be afraid of being judged. This dorkiness, stemming from comfort, is one of the clear female body language signs of attraction. She is not inhibited around you, she feels free. Allowing her to feel liberated can create a window for you to ask her out on a date.
12. She copies your movements
When a person tries to mirror the movements of another person, they may be trying to connect subconsciously. If you are wondering, “How to tell if a woman is attracted to you but hiding it?”, keep an eye out if she exhibits any mimicking body language. You could try this while sitting at a cafe or on a date.
Do some things deliberately, like sipping your drink and leaning to your side. She might involuntarily mirror these movements because deep inside she likes these gestures a bit too much. You could also observe if she has picked up a catchphrase that you often use. These physical signs a woman is interested in you aren’t always so easy to spot unless you pay good attention to her.
13. She will blink more
Rapid blinking is linked to psychological arousal. It means you have the person’s attention or they fancy you in a naughty way (wink!). Thus, eye fluttering is among the obvious body language signs she’s attracted to you. However, don’t jump to conclusions simply based on a woman batting her eyelashes. She could do it out of irritation, sarcasm, or just because she likes a little drama.
Related Reading: 21 Flirting Signs From A Woman You Never Knew About
14. Her voice will change
When men are around people they like, they groom themselves well and even get a baritone to their voice. The opposite is true with women. If you notice her talking to you in a high-pitched voice and smiling a lot, take it as a positive sign! Do observe if she speaks in the same voice with others. If you notice a difference, you have a clue on your hands. It’s one of the subconscious signs someone likes you because chances are she isn’t even aware of her changing tone in your presence.
15. She bites or licks her lips
It’s one of those pretty evident sexual body language signs of women that you can’t miss. Last night at the party, did that woman lick her lower lip seductively? If she was biting her lips while dreamily staring at you, you caught it right. She was very much into you and was totally leading you on! These actions are not teasing or vulgar, but rather, playful. So, do perceive these cues of female body language attraction lightly and not as a direct invitation to her bed.
Key Pointers
- If a girl makes an effort to improve her appearance in front of you, she probably likes you
- She would look for opportunities to sit next to you – maybe even lean toward you a little or touch you gently every now and then
- She would maintain prolonged eye contact if she is really into you
- Her face lights up to see you and you make her blush
- Her voice tone changes in your presence and she starts acting her true dorky self
- She might bite or lick her lips to draw your attention if she is sexually attracted to you
So, how confident are you feeling after getting such thorough insights on the physical signs a woman is interested in you? Just remember, all these hints that we just discussed are to be analyzed with a little bit of introspection. These are all clues and not direct invitations. Liking is just the first phase of a union between two people; it is not a ticket to a whirlwind affair. So tread carefully, friends. If you think a woman is interested in you, treat her kindly and reciprocate with decency and affection.
This article has been updated in May, 2023.
