When a guy tells you you look well (3 signs)
By
OptimistMinds
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Author bio
The Optimistminds editorial team is made up of psychologists, psychiatrists and mental health professionals. Each article is written by a team member with exposure to and experience in the subject matter. The article then gets reviewed by a more senior editorial member. This is someone with extensive knowledge of the subject matter and highly cited published material.
In this article, we will discuss what it means when a guy tells you you look well. We will also look at some ways to respond to this comment.
What does it mean when a guy says you look well?
When a guy tells you you look well, these are some signs that you need to pick.
- It means he thinks you look healthy
- He misses you
- He is impressed by your transformation
It means he thinks you look healthy
You look well is often used to describe the health of a peron. It is a recognition that the person does not look pale and sick. There is energy exerted from their physical self that is warm and inviting for others.
He misses you
A probable scenario is where you and the guy used to be interested in each other or were actually together for some considerable amount of time, enough for the guy to have a lasting image of you in his mind. When he sees you after a long while, probably he realises how good it was to be with you and the most acceptable words to speak at the moment would be “You look well.”.
Let us take the situation of a guy and a girl who dated for half a year and are now meeting each other after 2 years. It is rather difficult for the guy to admit that you look good which would come across as if he is trying to be flirtatious with you or stating that he misses you which would make the girl realize that the guy is still hung up on her which can seem embarrassing for the both of them.
In such a situation, a crisp exchange of pleasantries is what does the trick to break the awkwardness or silence. The guy would probably ask “How are you?” the girl would probably reply in a polite way that she is fine or doing good. To which, the guy would say “You do look well.” This comment intends no other striking or evident meaning. It is pleasant and spiceless in the exact measure.
He is impressed by your transformation
An impressive transformation surely requires some clearly stated credit. Transformation, here, can be something to do with your physical appearance that states good health. For example, a physical transformation after a recovery from a long term illness. If you meet someone who has battled cancer for a while and has now fully recovered from the illness. The person genuinely might look healthier now and stating it outright will surely boost their morale. The person does deserve credit for battling a life-threatening illness and a recognition for that can help boost their confidence to proceed further in life with more enthusiasm.
Another example would be a physical transformation of weight loss after dealing with an illness like obesity or even losing weight after being a little on the heavier side for a while. When you lost a lot of inches and weight since the last time he saw you. ‘You look well’ in this situation could intend that you look healthy now that you have a healthy body weight. Or he is impressed by the defined muscles and lean structure that you now carry.
How is the comment “You look well.” different from “You look good.”?
Very often people misjudge the meaning of the comment “You look well.” as a compliment about the person’s looks. The word ‘Well’ here is used as an adjective. The debates about the grammatical error between well and good is prevalent. But a large majority of the population says there is nothing wrong with either of the words being used to describe the looks of a person.
But another important angle to pay attention to is explained in here. The meaning that “You look well.” implies is to do with the physical health, energy levels, exuberance and also the radiance on the face of a person when all seems to be going well in their life and not the physical features like their clothing, hair, makeup, etc.
Although physical features like being shabbily dressed, energy exerted through their smile and eyes are also included in the process of making a judgment about someone’s health that is not all that is considered. Poor health reflects much more strongly in the form of the vibe the person brings along with them into the room.
“You look well” is seldom a comment made to impress someone or flatter them. Complimenting someone’s good looks is often an attempt to get into the good books of someone. Particularly, if you are trying to have a romantic relationship or a non-committal physical relationship with them. But, not denying the fact that complimenting good looks is just to flatter someone. There are many exceptions where compliments on good looks are also genuinely meant.
How to respond when a guy says you look well?
Often people are at a loss of words when they are given a compliment. But, it is okay if you cannot find the words to use in the situation there are body language cues that can always come to your rescue. Read this section to understand how to receive the “you look well” compliment graciously, with or without words.
- Smile
- Blush
- Say thank you
- Compliment back
Smile
Finding a reason to smile? A guy complimenting your good health is a pretty good one.
Very often people are not well accustomed to receiving compliments well. Maybe it is rare that they get any sort of flattering remark or they are just too humble to feel too good about themselves that they really do not know how to respond. Smiling is always a safe bet. It would never seem obnoxious or understated. Smiling indicates a warm sense of reciprocity to the comment he made.
Blush
Blushing is endearing. You do not have to fake it, but know that blushing is not an embarrassing response to a compliment of this kind.
Say thank you
A legitimate way to respond to any compliment- the good old simple ‘Thank you’. It is applicable to this situation too! You could add in a slight remark of how thankful you are along with the simple ‘Thank you’. For example, “Really? That means a lot to me. Thank you.”, “That is kind of you. Thank you.”
Compliment back
If they seem healthy too, mention it to them. Let kindness be sprinkled like confetti. Tell them that “You yourself look like you are in the pink of health. Touchwood.”,
Conclusion
In this article, we discussed what it means when a guy tells you you look well. We also looked at some ways to respond to this comment.
Frequently Asked Questions: When a guy tells you you look well
What does it mean when a guy says you look fine?
Telling someone they look fine is an indication that they think you look neat & presentable, ethically well dressed for the situation. It also means you look welcoming and warm towards the people you are to interact with. It also indicates that the guy thinks you are good-looking.
Can you use the word gorgeous for a man?
You surely can. But, know the intensity of the word gorgeous for a man. It surely indicates you think that the guy looks sophisticated, well-dressed, charming and physically/sexually attractive. the word gorgeous is usually considered a step above that calling the man handsome.
What does it mean when a guy compliments your body?
There are some probable meanings to when a guy compliments your body in particular.
It could mean that:
He is interested in having a relationship with you, may or may not be long-term and commitment oriented.
He finds you physically attractive.
He is sexually interested in you.
He genuinely wishes to compliment the efforts you are making to maintain a healthy physique.
How do you know if he is flirting?
Some obvious signs that he is flirting are:
He compliments you a lot.
His body language changes when you are around. He is physically closer and tries to make contact whenever possible.
He tries to make you laugh and ensures that you are having fun with him.
There is playful teasing between you two in a non-offensive and harmless way because you both like to keep things interesting.
He maintains eye contact with you and shows that he is interested.
He would find excuses to talk to you or meet you. He would not miss even the subtlest chance of having a conversation of hanging out with you.
He makes remarks about how his friends/family would enjoy your company because you are similar to them.
Is he flirting or just being nice?
Very often this question comes across our minds when the guy is being subtle about his intentions with you. In this situation, it is firstly, important to look at the contex of the conversation you both are having. If there is mention of sex, kissing, going on trips together just so that you both get to spend time together, it surely is flirting.
If he is just being nice, he would not:
Shower you with compliments about how amazing you are, how good you look, how well you dress, how kind you are, etc.
Make long eye contacts with you.
Try excuses to be physically closer to you or touch you even through hugs/handshakes, etc.
Ask you deep, personal questions in order to get to know you better.
Make non-verbal gestures that indicate interest in you, for example, licking or biting of lips, adjusting their clothes often to make sure they are looking nice, etc.
Mention his relationship status to you. Only when he has flirtatious intentions he would mention his relationship status to give you a green signal to proceed if you wish to.
How do you know if a girl is flirting or just being nice?
When a girl wishes to impress you and win you over she would try her best to be subtle about it. Not saying that women can’t outright say that they are interested in someone, but many women are often shy about approaching a guy and prefer men chasing them instead of the other way around.
If a girl is being flirtatious with you, she would:
Excuse herself often to freshen up and make sure that she is looking her best at all times.
She does not turn down physical affection from you.
She seems jittery and clumsy around you but is trying her best to look cool and gathered.
She likes to know how you are doing, where you are and seems concerned for your well being.
She almost always agrees to meet you.
She finds excuses to talk to you and prioritizes conversation time with you.
She makes sure you feel special and treats you differently from the other guys in the group.