Guys throw out a ton of different body language signs when they are into a girl.
But, what exactly does it mean when a man puts his arm around your shoulder while walking?
Read on below and explore 15 of the most popular meanings!
What It Means When a Guy Puts His Arm Around Your Shoulder While Walking
From being completely smitten and craving physical contact with you, to simply showing you support or trying to comfort you, there are a ton of reasons why guys put their arm(s) around your should while walking.
Here are some of the most common reasons:
1. He Craves Physical Contact
When a guy craves a physical connection with a woman, but they aren’t in a romantic relationship, or their fledgling relationship hasn’t fully blossomed into physical intimacy yet, putting his arm around your shoulder while walking is bound to be one of his first steps.
That said, it doesn’t matter if the guy is just a good friend, your best friend, or someone you just met today. If the guy wraps his arm around a girl’s shoulder, the body language signs are very telling.
2. It’s Just a Friendly Gesture
Sometimes when a guy wraps his arms around your shoulder while walking, it’s just a friendly gesture. Since you can’t make constant eye contact and walk straight at the same time, a linked arm pose or arm around the shoulder shows is a okay.
If you watch his body language closely, he’s either extremely relaxed or a bit uncomfortable. If he is acting uncomfortable, it’s highly likely that his feelings are evolving beyond simply wanting to be friends.
3. He Is Absolutely Smitten
If a guy is completely smitten with you, he’s going to be showing signs constantly. And, even if they are just little ones, they may still mean a lot. Touching is a universal language that equates to love, adoration, or at the very least raw physical attraction.
When a guy is totally into you, he’ll show sign after sign if you pay attention. Maybe he tries sitting close enough that your thighs touch or he simply steals a quick glance at you every time he gets the chance. Wrapping his arm around your shoulder is a seemingly nonchalant stance, but coming from him, it means a whole lot more.
4. You’re His Leading Lady
A guy that is interested in you as more than a friend, whether it’s for your mind, body, or both, even if you haven’t given him a single reason to think that you’re into him as well, he’s likely to show you strong affection and give you constant attention nonetheless.
If a guy is that interested in you and is constantly touching you, calling you, and otherwise giving you as much of his time and attention as possible, it’s a sign that he sees you as a girl that he could date on a long-term basis.
5. He Wants You To Feel Comfortable
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Sometimes the reason guys wrap their arms around your shoulder while out on a stroll is simply that it feels good, and they want you to be comfortable. Maybe they know you’ve had a rough day or week, and they want to cheer you up.
If you’re his number one girl, his arm will likely find its way around your shoulder, waist, and anywhere else he gets the chance to put it. So long as he’s touching you, he’ll be on cloud nine (especially if he’s making you feel more comfortable all the while).
6. He Likes To Play Bodyguard
Some guys enjoy being the hero. Like, really enjoy it. As in, they just can’t get enough of it. If you’re hanging around one of these champions, he is going to put his arm around you at one point or another.
Pay close attention to his actions and body language outside of him wrapping his arm around you because his body language shows you signs his words won’t. Whether you see his affection/touching as a good sign or a bad one, depends on your relationship with the guy.
7. He’s Trying To Stay Two Steps Ahead of Other Guys
If a guy wants to be that lucky guy (the one you are into and want to be with), he’s going to show you and the rest of the world a ton of lovey-dovey body language. This guy wears his arm around your shoulder like a badge of pride.
He wants other guys to see you with him, to see what your linked arm pose shows. He may also want to show your cheeky partner that he is more deserving of you. At any rate, he wants them to know that she’s queen and he’s king (end of story).
8. He Wants You To Get the Point
When a guy wants you to get the point, that he wants to be your Jay Z, and for you to be his Beyoncé, his affections agencies may be all over the charts. If he wants you to get the point, he’s going to make sure that his body language shows it.
If he wants you to be his leading lady, he won’t likely stop at wrapping arms around your shoulder or even your waist, either. But, to say the least, the arm around the shoulder may become a habitual pose for the two of you.
9. He’s Interested In Being More Than Friends
Something his body language shows every time (when a guy likes you) is when he’s interested in being more than friends.
Whether he’s always touching your hand, face, or putting his arm around your shoulders or waist while walking, his actions are sure to tell on himself.
He’s also more than likely to make eye contact as much as possible while talking to you as well.
10. He’s More Affectionate Than Most Men
Another reason that some guys put their arm around you while walking is simply that they are more affectionate than most men. That’s right ladies, many men put their arms around you just because they want to.
He doesn’t have to write you sonnets and shout them out to you while delivering dozens of red roses to your bedroom window at midnight to be more affectionate than most men. Putting you first, giving you all of his attention, and being physical with you is a sign he’s affectionate.
11. He Wants You To Feel a Major Spark
When a man wants you to feel major sparks, one way he might try to get things popping off is by getting physical with you. Chances are he’ll take things slow, moving little by little at a closer intimacy level with you.
Putting his arm around your shoulder while you’re out on the town walking, talking, and enjoying yourselves is one obvious place for him to mount his offensive.
12. He’s Respecting Your Relationship
Sometimes, when a man has strong feelings for you but knows your in a relationship, and he respects it, he still might not be able to quite completely contain himself. That means he may put his arm around your shoulder while talking.
The thing is, in his head, he’s being more than respectful (because, in reality, he’d really like to hold your hand, kiss you, or put his arm around your waist and pull you closer).
13. He’s Using the Universal Langauge of Love
Love is often represented by intimate touching. That means there’s a high likelihood that when a man is putting his arm around your shoulders (or any part of you) that he is attempting to use the universal language of love.
That by no means is to say that you should accept his physical touching if it isn’t welcomed. Further, love is far from determined by how much or how often someone touches you. Real love is shown by respect, loyalty, and compassion towards each other (to say the very least).
14. He Knows Your the Submissive One
When a man knows you’re the submissive type, or the submissive one in the relationship (if you’re dating), he’s probably going to be the one who does the majority of the touching (or at least he’ll be the one to initiate touching sessions).
If he knows you’re not going to shy away or try to stop him, he’s even more likely to feel comfortable wrapping his arm(s) around you anytime he wants.
15. You Are Queen B and He Wants You To Know
Some men want their significant others, or the girl they are into romantically, to know exactly how they feel about them. Others are ashamed/embarrassed to voice such emotions and feelings.
But, when a man thinks you’re the queen B, or wants you to be, and wants you to know it bad enough, he’s likely to do anything to get his point across including putting his hands on you or arms around you while walking (or just about any other time or place for that matter).
How To Respond When a Guy Puts His Arms Around Your Shoulders While Walking
Now that you know what it means when a guy puts his arms, or hands, on, or around, your shoulders while walking, let’s have a look at popular ways to respond to the situation:
- Touch his face and/or neck
- Play with his hair while he’s talking to you
- Interlock fingers while holding hands
- Put your head on his shoulder
- Give him a kiss on the lips
- Tell him you’re uncomfortable with him touching you
- Tell him you are just friends, and you’d like it to stay that way
FAQs
What Does Putting Your Arm Around Someone Mean?
Putting your arm around someone can mean a host of different things. Some of the most common meanings behind someone putting their arm around you are that they are attracted to you, they want to be more than friends, they want to make you feel comfortable, or they are trying to show other people that you enjoy each other’s company.
What Does It Mean When a Man Massages Your Shoulders?
When a man massages your shoulders, it typically means that he wants to make you feel good. Whether he wants you to feel good so that he can get into your pants, or he simply wants to cheer you up depends on the guy, you, and the personal dynamics of your relationship.
What Does It Mean When Someone Puts Their Hand On Your Shoulder?
When someone puts their hand on your shoulder it could be for a plethora of reasons. The most common meanings are that the person likes you as more than a friend, they want to comfort you, they are flirting, or they want to touch your body but aren’t brave enough to touch you elsewhere.
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!
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