There’s nothing attractive at all about a clingy guy as he will suffocate you entirely. So what are the signs of a clingy guy to avoid dating one?
There’s not much worse than a clingy guy. It’s kind of frustrating because at first, they just seem like really big sweethearts who actually show their interest in you. But after a while, the initial appeal wears off as their “interest” deepens and deepens. Then they’re just really annoying and nearly impossible to get rid of.
And that’s why it’s just best to avoid getting serious with anyone who appears to be remotely clingy. Clinginess is quite probably the one trait that passes off as affection and a form of love when it’s actually toxic.
So when you date a clingy guy, expect that you’ll feel suffocated and like you can’t breathe. So if you know the signs of a clingy guy, you can easily avoid dating one and save yourself all that trouble. [Read: I’m a boyfriend who’s too clingy and needy!]
Clingy guys can sometimes be very dangerous
One thing guys don’t really have to worry about with clingy girls is how dangerous they are. Because they very rarely do anything besides blow up their phone. On the other hand, Clingy guys can get scary because you never know how far they’ll go to get close to you.
They might seem nice and excited to be with you, but that eagerness can often get dangerous and even violent if you don’t reciprocate it in the way they think you should. It’s just another reason to avoid the clingy types from the get-go.
Whether it’s in the physical, emotional, or mental sense, a clingy guy can aggressively disrespect your boundaries and be violent with you. When you don’t reciprocate the same energy they want to see, that’s when they become a threat. So it’s essential for your sanity and dating life to know the signs of a clingy guy. [Read: The 10 types of guys in the world of dating]
What makes a guy clingy?
There are several reasons why a guy becomes clingy, and not even in an adorable way. First of all, clingy guys become the way they are because of their childhood and background. Guys who grow up without much love or without the right example of what love really is tend to be more clingy.
Since they were deprived of affection and love as a childhood, they unintentionally become clingy even in their dating life. Another reason is when guys have relationship anxiety or even just anxiety in general.
They have this fear that when their partner doesn’t immediately respond or give back the same energy, it means they don’t love them anymore.
A clingy guy is one of the worst guys you’ll date, and you’ll feel just how toxic and draining it becomes when you’ve been together for months. It starts with a fight because of a late response to his text, and it just gets worse further down the line. [Read: Clingy boyfriend: 16 signs he’s doing too much & how to shut it down]
How to spot the clingy guys so you can steer clear
It’s not very hard to tell if a guy is needy or not. They often give themselves away right when you meet them, or within the first week of texting and talking. If you’re looking for a way to avoid them, watch out for these signs proving he’s clingy AF.
1. He’s overly curious when you meet
It’s natural for a guy who thinks you’re attractive to be a little pushy. It’s not normal for a guy to be curious about every single thing about your life. If he seems overly interested now, he could be the clingy type.
Watch out for him. If he keeps asking all sorts of questions about your life and is persistent to know more, even when you just met, this could be one of the subtle signs of a clingy guy. [Read: 5 ways to handle too many questions on a date]
2. He texts you right when you give him your number
We all want guys to text us when we give them our number, but you can tell clinginess right off the bad if he texts you right after. Basically, if you hand him your number and turn around to a new text from him, he might be the clingy type.
This could be cute or he could just be trying to make sure you have his number, but it’s also indicative of a clingy guy. Just be careful if this is the case. Remember, it’s easy to blur the lines between clinginess and affection. [Read: Are insecure men worth dating?]
3. He doesn’t really stop texting you
And once he gets a reply, he just keeps going and going and going. You have to say goodbye multiple times and even then, he still pops up for some reason. This is a significant sign that guy is clingy, and you want to avoid him at all costs – unless you like being bothered all the time.
If he blows up your phone and you find that most of your notifications are coming from him, he’s a stage-five clinger! This is no longer cute but suffocating on your end. [Read: Insecurity in a relationship: How to feel more secure & love better]
4. He always reaches out first
Obviously, this means he’s clearly interested in you. But it could also be a sign he’s super clingy. By him always being the first to reach out, he’s not giving you time to miss him. He’s not even giving you time to be the first. And that means he’s texting or calling you way too frequently for it to be considered normal behavior.
The way to spot a clingy guy is when you look back, and there was never a time you went first in communicating – it was always him. He’s obviously made it a habit to go first because he’s clingy! [Read: 15 ways guys text when they really like you]
5. He sends multiple unanswered texts
This is the biggest red flag. If you meet a guy who starts doing this right off the bat, it’s best to avoid him unless you want the clingiest of guys with you. If he’s sending multiple unanswered texts, he’s desperate for your reply, and that desperation will leak into any sort of relationship you have with him.
Double texts without a response might even be considered okay, as we’ve been guilty of this at some point. But multiple texts? Now that’s one of the signs of a clingy guy you should know about.
6. He rushes things
Whether it’s the date or the physical stuff, he’s in a hurry. It’s like he wants to get to relationship mode ASAP. That’s a sign he could be very needy and clingy upfront. Avoid guys who try to rush right through things.
This means he’s also in a hurry skipping particular phases in your relationship, such as getting to know one another. He immediately wants to get to the good part, even if you just met. That’s a big no-no! [Read: How Fast Is Too Fast in a Relationship? A Guide to Perfect Timings
7. He tries to talk about your romantic history
This is perfectly fine if you’ve been dating for a while and can talk about this, but it’s not okay if he tries to get the dirty details of your past out in the open right away. It means he wants to know who you’ve been with, and that could be a sign of clinginess along with jealousy.
If he’s digging about your past right before you get to that point of comfortability and vulnerability, this is one of the signs of a clingy guy. You should never be forced to open up before you’re ready, ever. [Read: 20 ways to perfect your first date conversation]
8. He starts planning multiple dates when you haven’t even had one
You may have set the first date but if he’s already talking about stuff he wants to do with you weeks in the future, you have a stage 5 clinger on your hands. Avoid this type because while his eagerness might seem cute now, it’ll get old really fast.
Again, there’s an evident difference between a guy who plans and just a clingy know. It’s crucial that you know the difference. He’s not being sweet by planning your dates ahead, but he’s being clingy *and extra creepy*!
9. He doesn’t have too many close friends
There’s a reason some people don’t have too many friends. They’re either the very independent type or they’re so clingy and needy even non-romantic people in their lives don’t want to be in it. Ask him questions about his friends to find out if he could be clingy.
He doesn’t have many friends because he suffocates even the people he’s around – and he’s not aware he’s doing this. Basically, other people can’t tolerate his clinginess any longer and that’s why he only has a few friends. [Read: 18 reasons why someone doesn’t have any friends]
10. He hasn’t had many girlfriends
There’s also a reason for this one. Now, there are amazing guys out there who just don’t get lucky with girls. They end up single for a really long time even though they’re perfectly normal. Some men, however, don’t get girlfriends for a reason. Ask if he’s dated a lot and see what he says.
If he’s been out with girls but can never get in a relationship, he might be a clingy guy. For the same reason he doesn’t have many friends, the same goes for his past girlfriends.
Other women are repelled by his clinginess that they drop him before he even gets a chance to make things official. This is one of the signs of a clingy guy you really shouldn’t ignore.
11. He’s curious about what you’re doing all the time
You’ll realize this one pretty soon after texting and talking. He’ll always ask what you’re up to, even if you just told him about an hour ago. He might even play it off like he just wants to know about your day but really, he’s clingy and needs to know your whereabouts.
He needs an update all the time and while this can be typical for some relationships, it’s a red flag if you just met. He shouldn’t be demanding your whereabouts 24/7 and if you don’t give him one, he’ll get mad. [Read: 14 signs of obsessive behavior you can’t ignore]
12. He hits you up all over social media right away
We’re talking about him adding you on everything, commenting on years-old pictures, and even posting on your profile. If he does this ASAP, he’s definitely the clingy type, and you should steer clear.
If he’s already managed to find you on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and even Snapchat, this is one of the signs of a clingy guy. He’s literally everywhere and even when you’re apart, he’s all over your socials. Now, that’s just plain annoying. [Read: How to stop being clingy: 19 ways to gain self-confidence]
13. He friended your friends on social media right away
And this one really takes the cake. If he goes so far as to befriend YOUR friends after connecting with you, he’s clingy. This isn’t normal.
Most guys don’t friend their girlfriend’s friends until they’re in a fully committed relationship. And even then, it’s not super common. It’s not him wanting to be closer with your friends, but he’s clinging to you in every way. [Read: How to survive a clingy boyfriend and make him stop]
14. He’s constantly clinging to you *physically*
One of the signs of a clingy guy is when he constantly clings to you. There’s clearly a lack of physical contact, and you can’t seem to get even a day where he’s not engaging in physical contact.
Again, there’s a thin line between affection and clinginess. It’s not considered sweet or even cute when he’s not giving you even a fraction of a moment of your personal space. [Read: How to not be clingy: 12 rules to avoid ever turning into a clinger]
15. You feel suffocated by his presence, even from far away
You know he’s a clingy guy when you feel suffocated by his presence, even when you’re not physically together. Whether you’re together or apart, you already feel like you can’t breathe.
He makes it difficult for you to have your own personal space. When you’re apart, he’s always flooding your phone with notifications, whether that’s on social media, calls, or texts. [Read: How to love someone without smothering them]
16. He revolves his world around you
Ah, yes. One of the definite signs of a clingy guy is when he revolves his world around you. When you observe him, it seems that he never has his individual life.
His routine and everything else he does is dependent on what you’re doing, and that’s clinginess right there. This is also otherwise known as codependent behavior and it’s why clingy people are often codependent partners. [Read: How to stop being codependent and have a healthy relationship]
17. He gaslights you
On the chances you open up to him and tell him that his clinginess is bothering you and you ask him why he’s not trusting you enough, he’ll play the victim and make you feel bad about his behavior.
He might even tell you he’s such a great guy and that many girls would ask for this kind of behavior from their partner. This is one of the signs of a clingy guy and if he gaslights you, it’s time to think about whether you should walk away or not. [Read: How to spot gaslighting in a relationship & shut it down for good]
18. He’s extra jealous
We all get jealous and envious from time to time, even if we don’t exactly want to. But what differentiates a clingy person from an average one is they’re jealous all the time, even when they’re jealously is out of place and irrational.
So with a clingy guy, his jealousy can quickly turn into possessiveness if you’re not careful enough. This is why it’s crucial to spot the signs while it’s still early.
[Read: How to deal with jealousy in a relationship & learn to overcome it]
So, are you dating a clingy guy?
If you’re with someone clingy, we suggest dropping him as fast as possible. There’s nothing good or healthy about dating a clingy guy. You’ll feel suffocated by his presence, whether you’re together or apart. Not to mention, this kind of guy just isn’t good for your mental health.
Clingy guys can be the worst type of guys to deal with. There’s a fine line between clinginess and affection, and it’s time you knew the difference.