15 Signs A Guy Is Nervous Around You And 5 Reasons Why

Men can be confusing at times. They don’t reveal their emotions as women do. They like to play it cool even when they want to stutter and scream. However, there will be signs that a guy is nervous around you if the guy likes you. There are many reasons that your date is feeling anxious. The simplest one: They like you a lot and don’t want to mess it up.

This has been proven by a study done on 280 participants. According to the study, people experienced a cluster of anxiety-related physiological and behavioral reactions during an initial encounter with someone they found highly attractive. See? If you’ve been thinking, “Why is a confident guy nervous around me?”, this could be the reason. Do what he may, he may not be able to hide the signs he really likes you.

Why Would A Guy Be Nervous Around You?

When a man is nervous around a woman but confident and outgoing with others, then there has to be some reason behind it. In most cases, this is because he is attracted to her. “Then how do I tell if a guy likes me if he is hardly able to talk to me?” you might ask. Listen to Angelina, a 25-year-old barista from New Jersey. She shares, “There’s a guy who used to come to the café. He looked good and was very self-assured with his friends. But when he came up to order, he was clearly nervous.

“His speech kept faltering. I thought, why is a confident guy nervous around me? Once he went back to his friends, he seemed his usual assertive self again. He messaged me on Instagram that night and asked if I would like to go on a date with him. I realized that when a man is nervous around a woman, it’s probably because he has a crush on her. And if you’re going through the same, it’s one of the clearest signs a man is pursuing you.” 

We have a few more reasons that a guy could get nervous around women. Take a look:

1. He finds you intimidating 

Women are taking control of their lives and aren’t letting anybody divert their focus from what they want. So, what makes a guy nervous around a girl? Intimidation. Some men are greatly intimidated by strong, successful, and confident women. 

A study reveals what men really think about smart women. It was found that men, while interacting with a woman who is smarter than they are, can feel a “momentary shift in their self-evaluation (such as feeling emasculated),” which leads them to feel less attracted to her. Hell, that’s a reason some husbands lose interest in their wives, too.

When asked on Quora about why men are intimidated by women, a user shared, “In my experience, men are intimidated by successful, independent women. They are drawn to you because you know who you are, won’t tolerate BS, and can stand on your own. Then they hate you because you know who you are, you’re successful, independent, can stand on your own, and won’t tolerate BS.”

2. He finds you extremely attractive

A common query: “How do I tell if a guy likes me?” Well, men turn into shy schoolboys when they are attracted to someone. Even confident men experience physiological arousal around someone they like, resulting in 

• Racing heartbeat
• Sweaty palms
• Voice cracks

Psychologist Dr. Jeremy Nicholson explains, “Nervousness in attraction is not weakness, it’s the body’s way of signaling that this connection matters.” Think of it as a sign he’s invested in making a good impression. Rhonda, a medical student in her mid-20s, tells you how to know if a guy likes you: “My friend set me up on a blind date once. The man was sweating profusely and refused to meet my eye. He kept looking at his food the entire time. It is one of the biggest turn-offs and spells doom for me personally, and I never interacted with him again. Later, I found out that he confessed to our mutual friend that he found me insanely attractive and couldn’t keep his emotions in check.”

Related Reading: 30 Ways To Know If A Guy Secretly Loves You

3. He has social anxiety or a shy nature 

My friend once told me about a guy she liked, “He turns pale when he interacts with me. There’s a good chance he is into me, right?” I asked her with caution, “What if that happens when he talks to most people, though?” Frustrated, she asked me helplessly, “Then how to know if he likes me or not?”

Often, when someone’s nervous around a person, we think, “It’s a crush!” But hold on to that thought. Maybe he has social anxiety and doesn’t mingle with people so much. Social anxiety is becoming prevalent, and a recent study done in 7 countries found that 1 in 3 (36%) respondents had Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). Notice the other patterns: Maybe he isn’t so outspoke,n and he is also not an extrovert. He is nervous because that’s just what he goes through every day, and it has nothing to do with you. If you’re still confused, make the first move and see how he reacts.

4. He thinks you are judgmental 

All of us prefer to see only the good side of ourselves and avoid the bad aspects. But think about this, even if it makes you feel uncomfortable. What makes a guy nervous around women? It’s possible that you are judgmental about him, and this throws him off a little.

Related Reading: Are You A Serial Monogamist? What It Means, Signs, And Characteristics

5. He is hiding something from you 

One of the easiest signs to pick up if a guy is hiding something from you is when he acts nervous and fidgety around you. Andrea, a graphic designer from Chicago, says, “My ex-boyfriend is a confident guy, but not around me in the last few months of our relationship. He was constantly on edge when I was with him. I would feel suspicious whenever he changed his passcode. I thought it was one of the signs he was cheating on me.

“He would stop using his phone as soon as I entered the room and didn’t engage in conversations with me anymore. I broke up with him when I found out he was talking to somebody else.”

15 Signs A Guy Is Nervous Around You

No matter how confident or even self-obsessed a person is, they always tend to get a little nervous when they are with someone they like. We have curated a list of 15 signs a guy is nervous around you. Whether this spells good news or bad, you decide.

Nonverbal Cues A Guy Is Nervous Around You

When a man is nervous around you, his body often betrays him before his words do. Nonverbal communication, like eye contact, posture, gestures, and even physiological reactions like sweating or blushing, can reveal what he’s feeling inside. Psychologists call these “leakage cues” because the body leaks emotions we try to suppress. If you notice changes in his body language that differ from how he behaves around others, that’s a strong indicator that his nerves are tied to attraction rather than general anxiety.

1. No eye contact could be a glaring sign

Lack of eye contact can be an indication of various things, like:

• He could be hiding something from you
• He could be angry with you
• He could be feeling low
• More importantly, avoiding eye contact is a sign of attraction

He will refuse to meet your gaze in an attempt to mask his feelings for you. You’re making him nervous. Maybe you are flirting with your eyes, and he is doing the same by deliberately not meeting your gaze. This feeds into the whole “confident guy nervous around me” phenomenon, because when he avoids eye contact, it could be one of the ironic signs he likes you. 

2. You catch him looking at you 

Ever been in a situation where a guy stares at you when you aren’t looking and then immediately averts his gaze when you catch him staring at you? Yeah, that’s one of the signs a guy is nervous around you. He stares at you, but he is too shy to make eye contact. When you catch a guy staring at you, it is mostly because he is attracted to you. Here are some tell-tale examples:

• He stares at you across the room during a group dinner, but quickly looks down at his plate when your eyes meet
• At work, you notice him glancing your way during meetings but pretending to scribble notes the moment you look up
• On public transport, he watches you in the reflection of the window but avoids direct eye contact when you turn

When asked on Reddit what women thought when they catch a guy staring at them, a user shared, “Mostly I am flattered, and if I think he’s cute, I’ll maybe say something to him. Sometimes it makes me feel self-conscious, especially if I don’t think I look that good on that particular day.”

3. He fidgets a lot

One of the signs he likes you is when he is restless. He will fidget around you and won’t stay still. You may notice, 

• He taps his foot under the table even though the rest of his body looks still
• He constantly adjusts his shirt collar, tie, or sleeves when you’re around
• He drops and picks up objects like his phone or pen more than usual, as if his hands don’t know where to rest

It could be because he is attracted to you or because he is hiding something from you. Men can get fidgety when they are guilty of doing something. Their mind is all over the place, and they are trying to suppress their emotions. But it could mean anything. So if you’re trying to figure out how to know if a guy likes you, then just noticing the signs of fidgeting may not be enough. You’ll need to dig deeper.

Related Reading: The 36 Questions That Lead To Love

4. He is sweaty 

How to know if a guy likes you? Pay attention and notice if: 

• His palms feel clammy when you shake hands, even in a cool environment
• You notice beads of sweat forming on his forehead during a casual chat
• He wipes his hands on his pants or rubs his palms together repeatedly before speaking to you

We all tend to sweat under stressful, exciting, and frightening circumstances. A guy who is nervous around you is no different. So, the next time you are looking for signs he really likes you, notice if he is sweating profusely. 

5. His body is stiff

When someone is stressed or anxious, it directly reflects in their physical selves as well. 

• He sits bolt upright on a couch while everyone else slouches comfortably
• His shoulders remain unnaturally tense when you’re next to him
• He walks beside you, but his arms swing less freely, as if he’s hyper-aware of every movement

Such small things are a dead giveaway of his feelings, especially in social situations. Your guy could be displaying many of the body language signs that he likes you. You just need to pay close attention. So, if he sits and stands stiffly around you, these strange changes could very well be the answer to your “how to know if he likes me” confusion.

6. He keeps touching his face 

Is this one of the adorable signs he likes you, too? Not really. According to psychologists at the BBC, when we touch certain areas of our face, what we are really doing is calming ourselves. There are specific pressure points on the face that activate the parasympathetic nervous system: It’s the body’s internal coping mechanism. You may notice, 

• He scratches his chin or rubs the back of his neck mid-conversation without a real itch
• His hand lingers near his mouth as if he’s hiding a nervous smile
• He smooths his hair repeatedly, even though it doesn’t need fixing

Anxiety and stress are the common reasons people touch their faces. It could also mean that the person is lying to you or hiding something. That’s why when a man is nervous around a woman, he keeps touching his face. 

Related Reading: An Expert Tells Us What Goes In The Mind Of A Cheating Man

7. He blushes and smiles every time he sees you 

Blushing is when your face, mostly your cheeks, turns pink or red when you’re embarrassed, self-conscious, or when you have a crush on someone. Are you wondering, “Is he into me or is he just a friend?” See, if the guy you are dating blushes every time he sees you, then it’s one of the body language signs a guy is into you.

It’s a defense mechanism during fight or flight situations. According to a HuffPost article, The Body Language of Attraction, “When we are attracted to someone, blood will flow to our face, causing our cheeks to get red. This happens to mimic the orgasm effect, where we get flushed. It is an evolutionary way the body tries to attract the opposite sex.”

8. He will be hesitant to touch you 

An interesting question we received from a reader: “How to know if he likes me when he keeps himself physically distant?” A guy who tends to feel nervous might not touch you, even if you like him and don’t mind him touching you. Instead, 

• When your hands accidentally brush, he pulls away quickly, but looks flustered
• He avoids casual touches like a pat on the back, even if he does that with others
• During group photos, he stands slightly apart, keeping a respectful distance

He doesn’t want you to have a bad impression of him, so he will not initiate physical contact. He might even quickly withdraw if you both unintentionally touch each other. It’s because he doesn’t want to offend you or make you feel uncomfortable. 

Verbal Cues Of Nervousness

Speech patterns are another window into nervousness. A man who usually speaks smoothly may stumble, rush, or even overcompensate by talking too much when he’s around you. Verbal cues like nervous laughter, constant agreement, or peppering you with questions can all signal that he’s trying hard to connect while managing his anxiety. These conversational shifts often happen subconsciously. He isn’t deciding to act this way, his nerves simply shape the way he talks and reacts.

9. If he’s nervous around you, silence will unsettle him 

One of the major signs a guy is nervous around you is when he is bothered by silence. So,

• He fills every pause with chatter about random topics, even if they don’t make much sense
• During a dinner date, he starts talking about work emails or the weather just to avoid awkward quiet moments
• He interrupts silences with unnecessary jokes or questions like, “So, uh… what’s your favorite cereal?”

Jemimah, a librarian in her early 40s, says, “I enjoy silence. But I met a man who had a hard time with it. He was so eager to prove himself as chill and easygoing that he tried to fill in the silence by speaking about anything and everything. It was so obvious that he was just nervous and wanted to cover it with non-stop words. I mean, yes, if you ask me, that could be a sign he likes you. But these are exactly the kind of mistakes men should avoid on dates.”

10. “How do I tell if a guy likes me?” He will agree with everything you say

One of the signs a guy is nervous around you is when he agrees with everything you say. There is no retaliation for your opinions. We tend to be on our best behavior with someone we love because we are afraid that if we disagree with them, we might end up hurting their feelings. This is one of the ways to know if a guy secretly loves you.

Joseph, a dating coach from Atlanta, says, “A confident man who is not a people-pleaser doesn’t feel the need to blindly agree with everything that someone has to say. He will always offer his valuable two cents in every conversation. But if it’s a woman he really likes, then he becomes nervous and has a hard time staying completely sane. He just readily agrees to everything she has to say.”

11. “Is he into me?” Yes, if he listens to you attentively

If a guy likes you, he will invariably be attentive to you. You may notice,

• He remembers small details you casually mentioned, like your favorite snack or the name of your pet
• Weeks later, he asks you how that project you were worried about turned out
• While others might check their phones, he stays focused on your words, nodding or asking clarifying questions

Alex, a guitarist from Los Angeles, says, “When a confident guy is nervous around me, he won’t try to dominate the conversation or interrupt me when I am talking. He will listen closely to all my stories and will remember even the tiniest details.” 

12. He is plenty nervous if he laughs at everything 

An article titled What’s So Funny? Why We Laugh When We’re Nervous Or Uncomfortable states that laughter has the effect of discharging energy and helping us relax. Joseph Nowinski, a clinical psychologist and author, says, “When we laugh at a good joke or a comic routine, we tend to feel more relaxed afterward.

“Nervous laughter serves a similar function, allowing the individual to discharge anxiety and relax a bit.” Similarly, when he laughs at everything you say and do, it’s one of the signs a guy is nervous around you. It’s a defense mechanism for him to cope with his awkwardness.

Related Reading: Saying I Love You First Time- 13 Perfect Ideas

13. He tries to make you laugh 

If he tries hard to make you laugh, it’s one of the biggest signs he really likes you. 

• He will try to make jokes about everything
• He cracks silly jokes about the menu when you’re out at a restaurant, just to ease the tension
• He exaggerates a story from his day, hoping you’ll find it funny
• He uses light teasing to spark playful banter and see you smile

He is just trying to get comfortable with you. It’s one of the signs he wants you to notice him really badly. Does that answer your “how do I tell if a guy likes me” dilemma? When asked on Reddit about the one quality people look for in a partner, a user shared, “A sense of humor is incredibly important to me. I am absolutely attracted to wit and have been in situations before where, when a man made me sincerely laugh, it has made him 10x more attractive to me. I am a sucker for comedy, humor, and intelligent/witty writing or banter, so that may just be me.”

14. He asks you a lot of questions

When he asks you a lot of questions, it could be one of the signs a guy is nervous around you and is afraid to confess his feelings. He wants to fill the silence with questions and is eager to know everything about you. It might even be one of the signs he wants to make you his girlfriend.

Rachel, an engineering student from New York, says, “I’ve never had to think too much about ‘Is he into me?'” She tells us why, “Most guys I date are very curious to know everything about me during the initial stages of dating. They are so afraid of silence that they think silence is boring. Silence makes them nervous, and they end up asking a lot of questions.”

Digital Behavior Of A Nervous Guy 

Nervousness doesn’t just show up in person. It spills into texts and online interactions too. A guy who likes you but feels anxious may overuse emojis, reply instantly, or double-text because he’s second-guessing himself. Digital behavior is the modern extension of body language: the way he crafts his messages, the tone he uses, and the frequency of his responses all provide clues. If his texting style seems more animated, emotive, or cautious with you than with others, it may be his nervousness revealing genuine interest.

15. How to know if a guy likes you? He uses a lot of emoticons 

This came from Jack, a 36-year-old reader from Austin: “All right, I get that if I’m around him, I’ll know more about his feelings. But how to know if he likes me through text messages?” Look at the way he responds to your messages. For instance, 

• His response will be prompt
• He doesn’t hold back from sending emojis guys use when they are in love
• He double-texts with emojis like 😂 or 😅 when he thinks his first message sounded awkward
• Even serious replies include playful icons, signaling he’s trying to soften the tone and hide his nerves

When asked on Reddit about men’s use of emojis, a user said, “The idea that using emojis is somehow a feminine trait is complete BS. I know plenty of guys who use emojis regularly.”

Related Reading: Emotional Neglect In A Relationship – Meaning, Signs And Steps To Cope

How To Respond When You Notice The Signs

Spotting that a guy is nervous around you is only half the story. The more important piece is how you respond. Your reaction can either calm his nerves and create trust, or unintentionally make him retreat further. Think of it less as “fixing” his awkwardness and more as helping him feel safe. Empathy, humor, and patience go a long way. By creating a comfortable environment, you encourage authenticity, which is exactly what you need if you want to know whether his nervousness is rooted in attraction, respect, or insecurity.

1. Put him at ease

When someone is anxious, they become hyper-aware of every word or gesture. A small show of warmth can break that tension immediately. Laughing off a stumble or reassuring him that you get nervous too creates common ground. This shifts the energy from “I’m performing” to “We’re both human here.” Here’s what you can do to put him at ease:

• Smile warmly when he fumbles rather than pointing it out
• Share a quick self-deprecating comment to normalize nerves
• Use humor to dissolve tension without making him feel mocked

“When you ease a man’s nerves with kindness, you show that you’re approachable, which is far more attractive than perfection.”

—Connell Barrett, dating coach 

2. Use open body language

Nervous people scan for danger cues. Crossed arms, stiff posture, or distracted phone-checking can feed their insecurity. By keeping your body language relaxed, leaning slightly toward him, and maintaining gentle eye contact, you’re sending a silent message: You’re safe here. Sometimes, nonverbal reassurance has a stronger impact than anything you could say. So, 

• Keep arms and legs uncrossed
• Nod occasionally to show attentiveness
• Avoid scanning the room or checking your phone mid-conversation

Related Reading: 21 Undeniable Signs A Guy Is Claiming You

3. Ask light questions

A nervous man may overthink silence, worrying that he’s boring you. Instead of letting the awkwardness grow, step in with easy, open-ended questions that take the pressure off. You can talk about favorite foods, weekend plans, and silly hypotheticals to put him at ease. Here are some topics of conversation you can explore:

• Keep questions playful and not too personal
• Use “what’s your favorite” or “would you rather” style prompts
• Avoid heavy or high-stakes topics until he’s more relaxed

4. Offer positive feedback

Nervous men often replay interactions in their heads, looking for mistakes. A simple, sincere compliment grounds them in the moment and reassures them that they’re doing fine. 

• Be specific: “I like how you notice details” works better than vague praise
• Keep it casual to avoid making him feel spotlighted
• Reinforce effort, not just appearance. This shows depth of appreciation

“Positive reinforcement reduces anxiety by reminding someone that their authentic self is enough.”

—Dr. Jeremy Nicholson, psychologist 

5. Create a safe conversation environment

If he feels judged or rushed, nervousness will spike. A safe environment means allowing pauses, responding with patience, and showing genuine curiosity. Active listening or reflecting back what he says signals acceptance. This doesn’t just calm nerves, it builds trust, which is the foundation of any potential relationship.

• Normalize silence. Don’t feel pressure to fill every pause
• Use short affirmations like “I see what you mean.”
• Match his tone to make him feel understood

FAQs

Final Thoughts

Have you witnessed any of these signs a guy is nervous around you? Nervousness is a common feeling when we are put in a stressful situation. There’s nothing extraordinary about this, and it will go away once the two of you have developed a more intimate bond. 

Nervousness can be confusing, but it’s also one of the most human responses to attraction, respect, or even insecurity. The key is to read it in context. Is he only fidgety with you, or does he behave that way with everyone? When paired with consistent signs of interest, nerves can actually be a reassuring signal that you matter to him. And by responding with warmth and patience, you create the kind of space where he can relax, be himself, and let genuine connection grow.

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