12 Sweet Ways to Compliment Your Crush Without Being Obvious

Co-authored by John Keegan

Last Updated: July 19, 2021 References

Is there anything more exciting than having a crush? You’ve got butterflies in your stomach and just seeing them is enough to brighten your day. It’s perfectly natural to want to compliment your crush and hint at your feelings for them without being super obvious about it. Not to worry! There are actually plenty of ways you can pull it off. To help you out, we’ve put together a list of tips and suggestions you can use to hype up your crush without completely blowing your cover.

1

Remove the word “I” from your compliment.

Keep the focus on your crush. Don’t make the compliment about you, or your crush could catch wind that you have feelings for them. Instead, use “you” sentences or avoid using any pronouns so your crush is flattered without getting ideas about your intentions.^{[1]
X
Research source}
- For example, say, “You’ve got a radiant smile” instead of, “I love your smile.” It’s subtle, but it can make your compliment a little less obvious.
- Compliment something about what they're wearing—like "It's cool how your yellow shoes match the yellow in their shirt."^{[2]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  John Keegan
  Dating Coach
  Expert Interview. 11 November 2019.}

2

Add specific adjectives to your compliments.

It’ll make them more sincere. The more genuine your compliments are, the less likely your crush is to think that you’re only trying to flatter or flirt with them. Steer clear of general or vague statements like, “That’s a great shirt” or “I like your skirt.” Instead, talk about something specific that you like or give a specific reason why you like something about your crush.^{[3]
X
Research source}
- For instance, try, “You made a great choice cutting your hair short and going with an undercut” instead of “I love your hair.”
- You could also try, “That was really cool when you suggested karaoke and ordered those awesome little potstickers” instead of, “Last night was so much fun.”

3

Praise who they are as a person.

Shine a light on their personality. Talk about a personality trait that you really admire. Keep the focus on them when you compliment your crush and it’ll help prevent them from thinking that you might have feelings for them.^{[4]
X
Research source}
- Try saying, “You’re such a great leader” or “Your dedication is so inspiring.”
- Or, you might say, "There's just something really cool about you."^{[5]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  John Keegan
  Dating Coach
  Expert Interview. 11 November 2019.}
- You could also try, “Your happiness is contagious! People can’t help but smile around you” or “You’re such a people person. You can get along with anybody.”

4

Say you love their laugh.

Let your crush know you appreciate their sense of humor. Your crush’s laugh probably lights up your world, and you can compliment them for it without giving away that you have feelings for them. Keep it simple and just tell them that you like the way they laugh. They’ll love hearing it and it could make them feel even more comfortable around you—that’s a double-win!^{[6]
X
Research source}
- Don’t overthink it. Just say, “You’ve got a great laugh” or “Your laugh is infectious.”

5

Comment on their eyes.

It’s a simple way to compliment without coming off as creepy. The eyes are an easy feature to compliment—who doesn’t like hearing that they have nice eyes? There are also a ton of different ways you can describe and compliment them, so go with one that feels right and makes your crush feel good without hinting that you might like them.^{[7]
X
Research source}
- Try, “Your eyes are so bright and pretty” or get a little more specific with, “You have such beautiful blue eyes.”
- You’ve got a ton of adjectives to choose from to compliment someone’s eyes: soulful, kind, intense, deep, fierce, piercing, or gentle. Get creative with it!

6

Mention how nice their hair looks.

Give them credit for their effort. It takes a lot of work to maintain and style your hair, so complimenting someone for it won’t come off as random or obvious. Tell your crush that their hair looks great or that you like the way they style it. If they’ve fixed it a different way than they usually do, or if they got a haircut, talk about how nice it looks!^{[8]
X
Research source}
- You could go with, “You always do such a great job fixing your hair” or simply, “Your hair looks great!”
- You could also try, “Trying something new with your hair? Great job, it looks awesome” or, “Did you get a haircut? It looks really nice!”

7

Focus on their impact on you.

Talk about their or your own personal growth. If your crush inspires you to be a better person, tell them about the impact they’ve had on you. Be genuine and sincere and they’ll take it as an awesome compliment and likely won’t think that you’re hitting on them. If your crush has been working hard to become successful or improve themselves, give them credit for it. They’ll appreciate the recognition.^{[9]
X
Research source}
- For instance, you could try, “You make me want to work harder and stay committed to my goals” or “You’re such an inspiring person. It’s motivating!”
- You could also try, “It’s so great to see your progress. You’re unstoppable when you put your mind to something.”

8

Talk about how much you trust your crush.

Tell them you feel confident and safe around them. Let your crush know that you admire and respect them. Focus on how honest and trustworthy they are and they likely won’t catch wind that you have romantic feelings for them. They’ll think you just admire them, which will make them feel good and keep your secret safe.^{[10]
X
Research source}
- Say, “You always try to do the right thing. It’s really admirable” or “You’re one of the most trustworthy people I know.”
- You could also keep it simple and direct with, “Whatever you do, I trust you” or “You’ve never steered me wrong before.”

9

Tell them you believe in them.

Make them feel like a superhero. Compliment their work ethic and their commitment. Talk about how inspiring it is to see their dedication and that you think they can do anything they set their mind to.^{[11]
X
Research source}
- Try saying, “You’re so driven. It’s really motivating” or “It’s actually really inspiring to see how dedicated you are to something you want.”
- You could also try, “You’re pretty much unstoppable if you set your mind to it” or even a rhetorical question like, “Is there anything you can’t do?”

10

Acknowledge their accomplishments.

Give them props for what they do. You don’t have to keep your compliments focused on your crush’s physical appearance or their personality. Talk about how good they are at something they love or how hard they work to get things done right. They’ll appreciate that you recognize their efforts.^{[12]
X
Research source}
- Try, “Great job at your basketball game! Your jump shot looks solid” or “You killed it at your competition. You’re so good at it!”

11

Try not to be over-the-top about it.

Hyperbole and excessive praise can make you seem insincere. If you take your compliments too far, your crush may also catch wind that you have feelings for them. Try to be specific and realistic and your compliments will seem genuine and won’t make your crush think you’re trying to flirt with or impress them.^{[13]
X
Research source}
- Go with, “You made a great recommendation. That was a great movie” instead of “That movie was incredible. It’s the best thing I’ve ever seen.”
- You could also try, “Great call on including those extra figures in the report. Really sharp insight” instead of “You’ve got incredible instincts. That was an amazing idea!”

12

Avoid putting yourself down.

It can shift the focus from them to yourself. Keep all of the attention on your crush and don’t use self-deprecating humor to try to keep them from thinking that you have feelings for them. It’ll actually backfire and make you seem like a downer or it could make your crush feel compelled to try to make you feel better. Stick to complimenting your crush, not making it about you.^{[14]
X
Research source}
- For instance, if you say, “You always dress so well” don’t add something like, “I always look terrible” to it.
- If you say, “You’re so smart and always do so well” don’t say something like, “Unlike me who can barely get a ‘C’ on my tests.”

Community Q&A

Question

How can I avoid putting myself down?

Nico

Top Answerer

Try to focus on giving your crush a compliment, and remember that saying something like, "I always look so ugly," after complimenting your crush's beauty will only shift the attention towards yourself, and make your crush feel bad--which you likely don't want, considering you're complimenting them. If you think you have an issue with putting yourself down outside of giving compliments, check out How to Stop Putting Yourself Down.