Flirting Signs: 6 Subtle Tells That Someone Is Into You

Seeing flirting signs is surprisingly hard to do.

But when you can tell when a woman you’re attracted to is flirting with you, ding ding ding! That is amazing for everyone involved.

That’s why here in this post, I’m going to share 6 obvious ways to tell if she’s flirting with you as well as how to pay attention and read signs from coworkers, shy women, friends, and more.

To see the context for why I made this article on reading flirting signs, consider what this Introverted Alpha reader has to say:

“It’s hard to pick up the signs that she wants more from me. I have always been told I am oblivious to when people flirt with me or like me.”

And another reader says,

“I found out years after graduating that the hottest girl in high school was into me, and I never did anything about it. By the time I realized, even though we were both single, I was too freaked out and just did nothing.”

If you can relate and aren’t clear on why women would find you sexually attractive — even if you’re a good guy — it may feel like you’ll never be able to read the signs.

 

But you can learn. You can!

You just haven’t known how to perceive everything yet, and I’m going to help you with that right now.

But first, there is something you must know before any of what I’m going to share can help you, and that is knowing why women would flirt with you at all.

No matter where you are, if you are convinced that someone couldn’t possibly be flirting with YOU, then how on earth can you interpret her flirting signs clearly for what they are: a genuine interest in you?

That’s why we have our free ebook that lays out exactly how to find out what’s sexually attractive about you so that you can confidently read and act on the flirting signs she’s showing you. 

During many years at Introverted Alpha, it’s become clear just how valuable this ebook is: 

Reading flirting signs from a woman always starts with knowing why you’d be flirted with! The 22-page free ebook is yours for the taking:

Back to our flirting signs…

Here is what’s on tap for today:

First, we’re going to look at 6 signs a woman is likely flirting with you. What are signs of flirting?

Then we’re going to examine good signs she’s into you in specific contexts where it matters most:

  • We’ll apply the flirting signs to women at work and women you’ve just met.
  • Then we will go over possible signals from a longtime best friend who you’re worried you’re in the friend zone with (you might not be! I’ll show you good indicators on how to tell).
  • We’ll also look at the science of flirting to see when she’s shy or introverted and her romantic interest in you may not be as obvious as a more outgoing or extroverted woman’s would be.

Once you have an understanding of little tells that a woman offers, that will help you take action. No amount of information or popular dating tips can replace being able to read someone in the moment. So that’s what we’re going to work on together now!

Here are the 6 obvious ways to read any woman you’re attracted to.

Is she into you too? Let’s find out!

 

1. She’s relaxed and excited around you.

When a woman is feeling relaxed and excited around you, that means the beginning elements of chemistry and love interest are present.

If you’ve been around Introverted Alpha for awhile, you may remember the Chemistry Equation:

Relaxation + Excitement = Chemistry.

Why is this so?

Because she must feel relaxed in order for her excitement towards you to be positive and drawing her in rather than negative and creating anxiety. You can’t have a positive experience of excitement towards someone unless you feel relaxed around that person too.

Excitement is important because if she only feels relaxed around you, then where’s the attraction?

Nowhere.

So both relaxation and excitement together = one of the biggest signs.

 

How can you tell if she’s relaxed and excited around you?

Her body is visibly more relaxed than tense. She’s holding her drink in a more easeful than clutching way. She’s breathing in a more open than tight and shallow way. This is how her relaxation shows through.

Even while you interpret these basic elements of breath and body language being relaxed, her excitement shows through her…

  • blushing,
  • physical contact,
  • the way she seems nervous and happy in her facial expressions and laugh,
  • and how she takes deep happy breaths to calm herself (with all the excitement she’s feeling in your presence!).

 

2. Smiling and looking down shyly.

Smiling is one thing, and blushing and smiling is another.

When a woman is smiling and looking down shyly, she likely feels attracted to you and a bit submissive or vulnerable in an exciting way that feels good to her.

How can you tell if she’s smiling and looking down shyly?

Firstly, her smile is genuine, not forced.

Also, she might be…

  • blushing a little,
  • licking her lips,
  • reaching for her hair, or
  • playing with her glass.

Next time you notice any of these potential flirting signs, see if you can maintain eye contact. Then check to see if her eyes wander away from you, downwards in a sweet and shy way.

Her shyness shows when she has this excitement and is channeling that into a subtle physical activity while also seeming relaxed and happy.

 

3: Turning towards you.

According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of receptive is open and responsive to ideas, impressions, or suggestions.”

When she’s turning her body or her feet towards you with open body language, that means she is feeling receptive.

Receptivity implies relaxation and excitement (chemistry) and means she feels safe with you and wants more of you.

How can you tell if she’s receptively turning towards you?

She is turning towards you with…

  • her legs,
  • or her torso,
  • her arms, or
  • some combination of these.

If her whole body is rigidly turned away, that is not her turning towards you.

If any part of her body is towards you WHILE you are reading relaxation and excitement from Flirting Sign #1, this can be further indication that she likes you and is trying to show it.

 

4: Moving closer to you.

When a woman is moving closer to you, she is feeling like she wants a lot more closeness with you.

She is feeling quite relaxed and excited at this point and wants more. Yay!

How can you tell if she’s moving closer to you?

If she’s sitting down, she’s…

  • adjusting in her chair to scoot closer to you,
  • extending her legs closer to you, or
  • leaning in quite a bit with her torso or arms.

If she’s standing, she is leaning in to talk or listen more closely… She is *not* moving backwards.

To show you what I mean, I noticed a couple of people talking at a party, and the man kept coming in closer to the woman, who in turn kept moving backwards.

In ten minutes’ time, they were halfway across the room in the direction of her continually having backed away!

If you find yourself in that position, that means she has been moving backwards from discomfort and is definitely NOT moving closer to you.

On the other hand, if you find yourself right around the same area of the room and a bit closer to each other than you were a few minutes ago, you can rest easy that she is indeed moving closer to you.

 

5. Warming to your touch.

When a woman warms to your touch, she feels melty and surrendered towards you. Yum!

This is a VERY good sign. It’s an unconscious flirting sign, this melting of hers. And you should take it quite seriously.

How can you tell if she’s warming to your touch?

When you touch her on…

  • her hand,
  • her arm,
  • or her leg,
  • the small of her back, or
  • your shoulder with her shoulder

Notice how she “absorbs” the touch.

If she’s warming to you while your arm grazes hers, for example, then the way she absorbs that touch feels very receptive and open and relaxed.

She almost leans into it. Like a cat. She does not flinch.

She feels calm and soothed by those manly hands of yours! This is fantastic. Enjoy this!

She would NEVER do this if she weren’t flirting with you.

 

6. Touching you.

When a woman is touching you, she is feeling a bit frisky.

She’s feeling bold enough to touch you and/or reciprocate your touch.

How can you tell if she’s touching you in a flirtatious way?

She…

  • squeezes you,
  • lingers with her touch, or
  • strokes your hand, arm, or leg.

If she does these things, friend… and she’s a genuine person who is warm and sincere…

She is into you.

So, now that you know these signs of attraction, what’s next?

We’re about to answer the pervasive “Is she into me?” question in specific contexts you might find yourself in.

 

How to Tell If Your Coworker Is Flirting With You?

She sits two rows down from you, and she is way more attractive than she seems to realize.

Every morning when she comes into work, coffee in hand, you get butterflies in your stomach. You find yourself wondering whether you look the right combination of busy and relaxed.

Then you remember that time you ran into each other in the hallway once and made small talk. You thought you saw her blushing, but you couldn’t be sure. So let’s solve this thing! Is your colleague giving you social cues?

 

Here are signs she’s into you and flirting at work:

If she’s more outgoing, she sort of gushes when she sees you in passing. She shows extra interest in your day and the details you tell her. She wants to know what you’re working on or what your weekend plans are.

If she’s shy, she might feel flushed and seem warm after talking with you for a few minutes, even if it’s cold in the office.

While you’re talking with her in the hallway, at the elevator, or on your way out to lunch; her body language is ALL ABOUT YOU.

She’s turning towards you and maybe clutching something she’s holding onto (from the excitement of getting to stand so close to you!).

 

How to Tell If A Woman Is Flirting with You After You’ve Just Met?

You’ve just met at a party you almost didn’t go to (and now you’re glad you went because she is so stunning). You’ve already confirmed her relationship status. It’s hard to tell if she’s into you though.

Whether dating in NYC, LA, SF, or in any other place, this is a universal situation.

Maybe you’ve heard that a woman playing with her hair is a common sign of flirtation, and you’re watching for that. You’re wracking your brain for how to interpret a sure sign in those early moments of just having met each other.

The trouble is, between the loud music and the people passing around you two as you make small talk, you feel distracted and you can’t seem to read her well, even though you’re working to pay attention.

Especially if you’re introverted and private by nature, you might feel like it takes you a long time to warm up to new people. This compounds the issue.

 

Here’s how to pick up on signs a girl is flirting with you, even if you don’t know her well yet:

Since you’ve just met, you’re not sure if she’s smiling extra because she’s talking to YOU or if she is just a smiley person in general.

Here’s how to tell the difference in her presence:

  • Not interested: Is she extra bubbly and seems lost in her own world of outgoingness (indicating she’s a woman who smiles a lot in general anyway)?
  • Interested: OR is she more focused and present with you while still smiling (indicating she is really enjoying you personally)?

Here’s how to tell the difference in her personal space:

  • Not interested: Does she seem to be constantly trying to make more space between you, so that you don’t get too close (meaning she is not into you!)?
  • Interested: OR is she very comfortable being close with you and perhaps even using the bustle around you to MOVE CLOSER to you?

 

How to Tell If a Girl Is Flirting with You Once You’re Already Good Friends?

You feel seriously attracted to her every time you hang out together, just talking on your couch or out exploring your city.

It’s been that way for years, and the thought that she might feel the same excites you to no end.

She’s intelligent, she’s kindhearted, and she’s confident. She’s basically everything you want in a woman.

Because you’re interested in her, you can’t help but wonder, “Is she into me?” when she wears something really beautiful (when she knew she was going to see you that day).

Or when you see her look at you in a certain way, you get really distracted:

“Is she flirting with me? Does she see me as just a friend, or is there something more?”

It’s hard not to take these things as flirting signs, but should you?

Let’s start getting to the bottom of this!

 

Here are flirting signals from a woman who already knows and likes you:

There’s a closeness from comfort two people have as friends, and then there’s a closeness two people have who feel a spark of chemistry between them.

If she’s shy: If she feels this too, she might be SHY to be close to you (even while maybe blushing and feeling happy) precisely because she knows it would excite her even more.

If she’s outgoing: On the other hand, she might CREATE opportunities for more closeness with you, so that she can be near you and feel how strong and safe you are.

The detail to notice is…

Whether shy or outgoing, does she ALSO seem WARM/FLUSHED while she’s close to you?

If she’s completely normal and her breathing is relaxed and she is not warm, she might not be flirting with you at all. She might actually just see you as a friend. That warmth/blushing near you is key.

 

How to Tell If She’s Into You But Too Shy to Show It?

While your friends prefer more extroverted women, you’ve always preferred the intellectual, quiet type of intelligent woman.

This is wonderful once there’s already a connection established, but what about BEFORE then…

When neither of you necessarily feels comfortable “showing your cards” or even knowing fully what those cards are (as it takes time to see if you are truly into one another)?

 

Flirting Subtleties

Here’s how to tell if a girl is flirting with you in subtle ways, since she may be too shy to say or do anything about it overtly (a reservedness you likely find attractive!):

She is blushing A LOT, more than an outgoing woman would. If she’s shy AND attracted to you, she might be more susceptible to showing inadvertently through her body that she feels pleasantly uncomfortable around you (butterflies will do that!).

She is either laughing and smiling more than she seems used to (because you have that effect on her) OR she is withdrawing but seems keenly curious and interested in you.

You can feel her attention on you in a pleasant way that indicates she feels intrigued but maybe a little apprehensive because of the attraction she feels.

 

Woman Smiling - Flirting SignsConclusion on Reading Flirting Signals, Signs, and Tells:

That’s a lot of flirting! Let’s get everything listed out so you can see it at a glance.

Here are the 6 signs a woman is flirting with you:

  1. Relaxed and excited around you
  2. Smiling and looking down shyly
  3. Turning towards you
  4. Moving closer to you
  5. Warming to your touch
  6. Touching you

These signs of attraction apply across these contexts and more:

  1. A coworker flirting with you
  2. A woman you just met seeming into you
  3. A friend who might have a crush on you
  4. A shy woman who may be more subtle

Now that you know these six flirting signs and a few key contexts to apply them in, you are well on your way to more easily noticing when women like you.

Sometimes just noticing flirting signs from a woman can help you feel more empowered to do something about them, like getting her phone number and setting up a date.

For the times when it’s not enough (because, confidence!), we’ve got you covered there too:

 

Reading signals is best done on a foundation of confidence.

Now that you’ve learned key tips on how to read flirting signs…

How can you best apply what you’ve learned into your dating life?

These signs apply whether you’ve met a woman online or in-person. You don’t have to be “dominant” to notice or act on these; you can simply take into account what she has said and what she is saying through her actions.

So where to go from here?

If you feel like deep down, your confidence is suffering…

Then take heart:

Our far-and-away BEST free resource for introverted men is Why Pickup Doesn’t Work for Introverts & What Works Instead. This is a fantastic free ebook that will take your dating success to the next level!

Grab your copy, discover your best qualities in the ebook exercise, and then send us an email telling us what they are. :)

Sarah from IA
Sarah from IA
Sarah is founder and CEO of Introverted Alpha; the top dating coaching company for introverted men; featured by Forbes, Business Insider, Cosmo, and more. Pick up your free copy of Introverted Alpha's 22-page ebook in the box below.

Attracting An Amazing Girlfriend Starts with Finding Your Own Vibe.

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Attracting An Amazing Girlfriend Starts With Finding Your Own Vibe.

In this powerful free 22-page ebook, "Why PUA Doesn't Work for Introverts And What Works Instead," you will uncover...

 

--> A 3-step exercise to find what makes you uniquely attractive
--> Why the “pickup artist” approach will never work for introverts and what works instead

--> How to attract women naturally being your best self

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