Pretend you’re texting the guy you like. The conversation is flowing, texts are going back and forth, the mood seems fantastic, and then you get hit out of nowhere with a one-word answer.
It could look something like this:
“K.”
“Yeah.”
“Okay.”
“Fine.”
“Sure.”
Suddenly, your conversation stutters to a cold and awkward halt. You wonder to yourself how you’re supposed to answer that and return back to the flowing conversation from before.
Well, you’re in the right place. We’ll be showing you how to reply to one-word texts from guys, as well as tell you why he’s sending you those curt messages at all.
Why He’s Sending You One-Word Texts in the First Place
We’ll start by explaining why he’s suddenly decided to become the world’s laziest texter. There are several reasons behind his icy tone:
He’s just not that into you.
The most hurtful answer is simple: he’s not into, or he’s grown bored of you. This is more likely if you’re still early on in your relationship in the “getting to know him” stage.
In those first few weeks of “just talking,” the relationship is young and fragile. You probably don’t even have any sort of formal commitment yet. Because he could be (and probably is) talking to other girls, you need to keep his interest if you really like him.
The one-word answer could be a great way for you to gauge his interest level. At this point, it shows to you that he doesn’t care enough to put effort into your conversation.
Read Next: How to Text a Guy You Just Met
He’s a little busy at the moment.
A one-word text doesn’t have to be a bad sign. If his mind is elsewhere, such as work or family, he might not have the ability to write you something more detailed right now.
For example, if he’s answering you on a quick break at work or while he’s visiting his mom, he doesn’t necessarily have the time to send you more…but he still cared enough to try and answer you, anyway.
When he sends you that dreaded one-word text, think about the time of day. Did you knowingly text him in the middle of his shift at work? Do you know if he had any plans at the time you texted him?
If you can answer yes to those questions, you can be more confident that he’s just a bit occupied.
WATCH NOW >>
VIDEO REVEALS: Secret 'Desire' text message that men are powerless to resist
Side Note: Check out our complete guide on how to text guys.
He doesn’t realize he’s coming off as cold.
Men are often solution-focused. This means that, if one word perfectly sums up the response to something, he might spring for it because it makes sense.
He’s not necessarily trying to be rude, nor does he realize he’s coming off as cold. It’s kind of hard to tell if this is the case, though.
If he does this often, but seems interested in continuing the conversation by texting you again afterward, it’s a pretty good sign that his texting skills might just need a little polishing. He probably doesn’t know that he seems disinterested.
He could be testing your interest.
Unfortunately, both men and women play a lot of games when it comes to dating. We do this to protect our hearts from hurt.
Your guy could be doing exactly that when he sends you a one-word answer. He might be unsure how interested you are in him, so he sends you that single word, waiting to see what you do next. What he’s looking for in your response varies based on the man in question.
Again, this is another hard one to pinpoint. You can try looking at your past interactions to see if he has a pattern of playing games with you.
If you think he’s playing games with you, make sure to read our guide on what to text a guy who is playing games.
You Might Also Like: Random Things to Text a Guy You Like (That He Won't Be Able to Resist)
He’s upset.
We’ve all been sulky before. Sometimes, when we’re upset, our first line of defense is sending someone a cold one-word text and hoping they get the hint.
At other times, we send them that one-word message when we don’t know what else to say. Your guy could be doing the exact same thing.
To determine if this is what’s going on, take a step back and look at the circumstances surrounding the text. Did you just have a disagreement or an argument? Are you giving him some bad news?
Then there’s a good chance his cold reply is just him indicating he’s upset.
He’s trying to play it cool.
Here’s another game that we often play in the early stages of relationships: hard to get. You know how it works – you pretend to be less interested than you really are so you don’t come off as desperate.
Women aren’t the only ones who do this. Men frequently try to keep it cool, too, which could be exactly what he’s doing with his one-word texts.
Like many of the other causes, this one is hard to tell. It’s something you might not ever discover until later, when you know him well enough to ask him why he did it.
Recommended Article: Interesting Text Messages to Send to a Guy (With 15+ Intriguing Examples)
How to Reply to One-Word Texts from Guys
Don’t answer him at all.
Ignoring him might seem childish, but we honestly think it’s your overall best option. It can apply to every single reason for him sending you the one-word text.
Think he might be busy? Not texting him back could free him up to focus on other things and show him you respect his space.
If he’s playing games with you or losing interest, the lack of a response is a clear signal that you’re not desperate for him. When he realizes you’re not at his beck and call, he’ll be forced to see that he must work harder to keep your attention.
And if he’s being sulky, not answering him will give him time to stew in peace. Once he cools down, he should text you again himself if he’s actually interested in you.
Take a little break from him.
Ignoring him completely might seem too rude to you. And when you’re really smitten with him, you’ll feel less inclined to take risks like that with your relationship.
We hear you. If cutting him off completely until he steps up his game is too drastic, consider the happy medium: ending the conversation yourself for now.
After he sends you that frustrating single-word text, tell him you’ve got to go for now. Then, simply take a bit of a break from him or your phone. If you can, wait for him to text you next.
Send him a one-word answer of your own.
We’re not the kind of people to constantly tell you to give someone “a taste of their own medicine,” especially when it comes to romance. In the arena of love, we should strive to be the best we can be.
However, sometimes returning the favor is the only way to show someone how something as cold as a one-word answer feels. Don’t be rude about it by sending him a haughty “whatever;” instead, just send him something acknowledging his answer, like “okay.”
Then don’t say anything else. Let him come to you when he’s ready to talk more.
If you know him well, check in on him.
When you’ve been talking to him longer or you’ve already started a committed relationship, you’re probably at a point where you can confide in each other. If you know him better and can sense that he’s upset, ask him if he’s doing okay or what’s wrong.
Don’t do this simply because you’re feeling insecure. If you constantly ask him what’s wrong any time you so much as think he’s mad, you’ll just look clingy.
You should only ask him if you’ve gotten to a stage in your relationship where you actually know him well enough to tell when he’s angry. Additionally, don’t ask him in a way that feels judgmental, such as saying something like, “what’s wrong now?”
Ask him in a way that sounds concerned and open to his thoughts. For example, you could say something like the following:
“Hey, it feels like you might be upset. Want to talk about it?”
Stay away from boring conversation openers.
Conversations are a two-way street. If he’s giving you one-word answers, there’s a possibility you might have sent him something lackluster first.
There are some boring conversation openers that are just exhausting to answer all the time. “What’s up?” or “How’s it going?” are two examples of this. They can work perfectly fine sometimes, but as you get to know each other better, these classics are just plain uninteresting.
Keep your talks feeling fresh. Avoid using traditional conversation openers all the time, and try to go for things that are more personal to him, such as asking about how certain things went at work or who won the game he watched last night.
Further Reading: I Want to Kiss You Texts for Him (With 15 Examples You Can Use)
How to Become a Master of Texting
We get it. Texting can seem impossible, especially if you were never a strong writer to begin with. Even detailed guides might not be enough to make you feel more confident about your texting.
Follow the steps laid out in this video and learn how to hook a guy the easy way.
My name is Jenny and I love helping people with their relationships. I believe a few simple tips can help people massively improve their communication skills with their partners and really express themselves. Thanks for visiting!
Table of Contents
