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What Does It Mean When A Guy Winks At You? (19 Cute Things)

Are you wondering what it means when a man winks at you?

Is he just being friendly or is he attracted to you?

Is it possible to tell?

The answer is: yes. But you’ll need a bit of social nous about you. The guide below should help. It features a comprehensive list of 19 reasons why a guy would wink at you.

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Of course, if you’re only interested in learning why men are winking at you, scroll down. You’ll find my list of reasons why men wink at women below.

19 Possible Reasons A Guy Would Wink At You

1. He’s Trying To Be Cool

Have you ever had that brief moment when a guy says something and then concludes with a brief wink? It could have been a guy friend, your boyfriend, or even boss, but winking for them isn’t to flirt but more to establish the central message “I’m cool like that”. You can tell by this person’s body language that they are simply asserting confidence or being cool.

First off, there won’t be any follow-up signs that they are flirting with you or anything else. For the next few minutes, they would be more self-absorbed, if anything. So yes, winking is something men do when they are ‘feeling themselves’ (and by feeling themselves, I mean being confident or acting cool.)

2. He’s Being Friendly

he's being friendly

What does it mean when a guy winks with one eye? Well, slow your roll, that man could just be friendly. In a lot of cultures, somebody could wink at you simply because they are being friendly. Let’s say you ask for directions and they kindly give you some, a wink right after wouldn’t mean they are trying to flirt with you. 

It’s more of a friendly act or gesture that says, “no problem” or “don’t mention it”. In this case, smiling back or saying “thank you” again would be appropriate. There’s no reason to get ahead of yourself if their body language doesn’t show any more signs of them being flirty or overly suggestive in any way.

3. The Pop-Star Wink

Okay, so you’ve probably met that one guy who is a bit extra, and gives that ‘million dollar wink’ after every cool statement. Reading too much into the intentions of someone like this may do you no good, as most times, it’s nothing more than an act. What it could mean when a guy like this winks could range from trying to establish how cool he is or how nice he looks. 

So, someone like this isn’t necessarily winking because they like you. In fact, their intentions are more about themselves. Their cocky, confident, or ‘extra’ body language would tell if guys like this are being friendly, or just more extra and self-absorbed, as usual.

4. He Knows What You’re Up To

When someone gives you a wink when you’re either fibbing, giving an excuse, or when he sights you somewhere you shouldn’t be, it could mean that he knows what you’re up to. 

Now, the central idea behind winking in this kind of case would be to assure the other person that you ‘have their back.’ However, depending on his body language, it could also mean he’s going to rat you out. So, just to make sure he’s not going to rat you out, or even blackmail you. Try to watch out for any cues that he’ll do something ‘crazy’ next. 

Well, how do you know that he’ll do more than just wink and walk away? You could either approach him and ask him yourself or just watch how he acts, and who he talks to.

5. He’s Up To No Good

If you’re dating this guy, it’s easier to understand his body language better than I would. However, if both of you are not dating, then it becomes more complicated to understand why he may be winking. In this case, you have to look for more signs, is he usually just goofy? Does he like to make a statement? Or is he absolutely up to no good?

Right before some men pull a ‘cocky stunt’, they almost always wink. So, a guy could wink at you right before he leans in and gives you a kiss—or even more hilariously, dumps a water-filled balloon on someone who’s totally unsuspecting of the act.

6. He’s Got Your Back

he's got your back

Have you ever got scolded by someone, maybe your father or boss, then somebody close to you winks, nods, then walks away? He’s certainly passing across a solidarity message, ‘don’t worry, it’s alright” or “don’t worry, I’ll talk to him/her”. In this case, the guy is being more supportive than flirty, friendly, or goofy. 

He’s establishing the central idea that he’s got your back and will try to make things better or more bearable for you. If he’s your friend, it would be easy to tell if this is the case by the way he winks.

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7. He’s Being Goofy

If you’re dating a guy who likes being goofy or just funny most of the time, then you’ll understand this point more. Winking isn’t always a ‘central means of communication’. Sometimes, it means absolutely nothing. Well, at least nothing serious. 

If a guy has had more than enough to drink and is being generally silly, then it’s best not to take his advances seriously. 

8. He’s Being Naughty

What does it mean when a guy winks at you and then smiles? There’s more than one way to figure it out. But mostly, you’d have to watch his body language, and what he says right after. If this guy has had his eyes on you for a while or is saying really sleazy things then winking right after, maybe it’s just a naughty act. 

In this case, he may not only be winking at you but at everyone that pays him any attention. You’ll know if he’s being naughty if he’s saying silly things or making unsuitable jokes and the likes. 

9. He’s Being Mysterious

Men that grew up watching Telemundo or more similar soap operas probably do this a lot. They hit you with that mysterious wink right after saying something similarly puzzling as well. Their body language would also be more closed than open, so you won’t really be able to tell what this guy means. 

If he says something evasive and winks right after, then he probably has no intention of divulging any more information.

10. He’s Being Flirty

he's being flirty

A lot of people imagine that when a guy winks at them, he’s automatically flirting and nothing more. But I guess it depends on the way it’s done. If he smiles, then gives you a wink, followed by a seductive stare or a super hot lick of the lips, then he probably is. These are signs you could look out for when trying to figure out if this guy is just being nice or being flirty. 

Also, is he paying you compliments as well? Do you feel his gaze on your body? Did the wink happen more than once? Winking seldom happens accidentally, and if it does, trust me, you would know. So, if this guy is winking at you with all the suggestive signs mentioned above, then he’s probably doing so in a more flirty way than friendly.

11. He’s Making A Suggestive Comment

Do you know how men like to play with their words? Sometimes, not everyone would get the joke or comment if they don’t use their body language to ‘clarify’ the message. For example, he could be implying, in the nicest words possible, that he wants to get to know you more, then wink. Winking after making such a statement could mean that he’s implying something deeper.

So, when a guy means something more than he’s saying, winking at the end or middle of the statement would let the other person know that the ‘central’ idea isn’t all there is to his words.

12. He’s Being Nice

Let’s create a scenario. You’re at a central market, looking for the perfect drapes for your new home. Then another guy who’s also shopping for drapes in that central market walks up to you and then suggests a material he thinks would be great. When you turn around to thank him, he gives you a wink and walks away.

He doesn’t ask for your number, he doesn’t stare too much or try to spend more time with you, he’s just being nice. You’ll know when a guy is just being nice by watching his body language cues. When he’s winking, does he do anything more than that? 

If the wink is accompanied by body language signals like ‘licking the lips’ ‘cucking his eyebrows’ ‘checking you out’ and the likes, then it’s probably more than just a nice gesture.

13. He’s Being Sexy

We all know that one guy who believes he’s the sexiest being on the planet. Men like this could use all the flirty body language cues when talking but mean nothing by it at all. They just like to be noticed and fancied, and there’s nothing more to it. 

They try to create this central idea about how masculine, hot, and sexy they are. You’d be surprised that such people spend time practicing their wink, looking out for the one eye that makes them look more appealing. 

If you’re dating such a guy, you may catch him winking at other ladies too. It may become a pattern not because he’s necessarily flirty, he’s probably more concerned about feeling sexy

14. He’s Lying About Something

he's lying about something

More times than none, when people wink right after they say something, it could mean they are fibbing. It’s even more evident when more body language cues are thrown in the mix, like rubbing their nose, arms or ears right after. If he’s trying to establish a central or general idea about something he did, the first part of his body that would give his lies away are his eyes. 

So, if you’re dating a man and want to know if he’s being honest, pay attention to such body language cues more. If he winks right before or after he says something, that could be a sign that he’s lying about it. However, this is not always the case, especially for someone who normally winks a lot. 

15. He Wants You To Lie About Something

On the other hand, a guy could wink at you because he wants you to cover him. For example, if he told his mum that he had to work during the weekend, and she turns around to ask you, he could wink. But let’s make it more general, like a guy at your office. 

He could walk up to you and say, “remember how we bumped into the elevator this morning, it’s so funny how we come to work so punctually,” and then winks. He probably needs an alibi that will confirm he came to work on time. 

His statement could be something more sensual or serious. However, pay attention to what he’s saying, so you’ll know if he’s trying to pass a secret message across or actually just flirting with you. 

16. He’s Being Dismissive

This one can be annoying at times, and I think I’d be telling the truth when I say that men do this more than ladies. If you’re giving them advice on a certain matter that they feel they got covered, they’d hit you with the “hey, I got this” statement and accompany it with a wink. Sometimes, they won’t even say anything, they’d just wink and walk away.

17. He’s Sending You A Silent Message

he's sending you a silent message

Alright, let’s not imagine a James Bond movie here, we have to be more real, *wink*. See what I did there? Anyway, back to the matter, a guy might be winking at you to send you a sign that something is wrong, or that he needs to talk to you. Depending on how much you know this person, it’s best not to take such a signal lightly. 

18. He’s Being Inappropriate

The truth is, there are some ‘approaches’ by men that ladies are more open to than others, and they know it. A guy could know that you want nothing to do with him and purposely wink at you to make you feel uncomfortable. 

19. He Finds You Attractive

A guy that finds you attractive will be more suggestive when he winks at you. You don’t need to know this person, maybe both of you just met for the first time. If he’s glancing at you, smiling sensually or winking, he probably thinks you’re attractive.

FAQs

What does it mean when someone winks at you?

The major reason guys would wink at you is either because they are being friendly, but most guys would only wink at a girl they like. Yet, as much as it’s a sign or form of flirting, a lot of men either do it out of habit, as a means to establish a friendship or to make you feel more comfortable with them.

Is winking always flirting?

No, it’s not all the time guys wink with the intentions of sending a flirty message across to a lady. Somebody could wink as a kind gesture, but it’s also one of the signs that someone is teasing you. There are more reasons a guy would wink at you, for example, it could be a sign that he's fibbing or telling a joke.

How do you know if a guy is interested or just being nice?

Apart from the body language or gestures he’s displaying, you have to watch out for the effort a guy is putting to get your attention. If he plans to approach you for more romantic reasons, a man would certainly look for more ways than one to make his intentions known. 

There’d be intentional physical contact, he’ll try to stay by your side, joke about sensual things, and exhibit other body language signs like mirroring your actions when he’s close to you.

How do you react when a guy winks at you?

If a guy winks at you, you could either act like you didn’t see it or react with a smile if you like him too. The central idea is either react with a friendly wink back, but if it’s somebody you don’t really know, a more stern reaction like looking away or keeping a straight face should deter him if you don’t welcome his ‘advances’.

Why is winking attractive?

When a guy winks at you, it could be the sexiest gesture ever. Ladies have this central thought around winking that just makes it more desired or appreciated when a guy knows how to do it with swag. Plus, the fact that not everyone can pull it off also makes it more of a plus for those guys that can. 

The Bottom Line

Here’s the truth. There are so many signs that a guy is flirting with you, and winking is one of them. However, unlike some people suggest, there are many more reasons why a guy would wink at you, and various ways to know what he could probably mean, by looking out for cues from his body language.

I hope you enjoyed reading through this list. Please leave a comment below if it was helpful, and share this with friends that it could help as well.

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